ABL Bio Unveils Immuno-Oncology Bispecific Antibody at AACR... "Demonstrates Excellent Efficacy in Animal Studies"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] ABL Bio announced on the 22nd that it will unveil the pipeline ABL105 (YH32367), which is under joint research with its partner Yuhan Corporation, at AACR (American Association for Cancer Research).

At this AACR, ABL Bio will participate in a total of four poster presentations, including two bispecific antibody immuno-oncology pipelines based on the ‘Grabody-T’ and ‘Grabody-I’ platforms jointly researched with Nasdaq-listed I-Mab, and one project conducted in collaboration with Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH).

ABL105 works by binding to the cancer-causing HER2 gene and stimulating 4-1BB, a T immune cell activation receptor, thereby inducing the immune system’s own anti-cancer response. This activates the body’s immunity to respond specifically to tumors while suppressing tumor growth. The company explained that it is expected to be useful for treating patients who show resistance to existing anticancer drugs. The main indications include multiple solid tumors such as breast cancer, stomach cancer, and lung cancer.

ABL105 induces tumor elimination by increasing the secretion of apoptosis cytokines such as interferon-gamma, produced by human T immune cells (proteins secreted by immune cells that have anti-cancer and antiviral functions).

In fact, in animal experiments using humanized mice transplanted with human immune functions and mice expressing 4-1BB, ABL105 demonstrated superior anticancer efficacy compared to the existing anticancer drug Herceptin (Trastuzumab). It also resolved concerns about liver toxicity side effects of 4-1BB monoclonal antibodies and showed strong anticancer activity only in the tumor microenvironment where cancer cells grow well, minimizing the risk of peripheral toxicity side effects, according to the company.

Lee Sang-hoon, CEO of ABL Bio, emphasized, “The 4-1BB-based ‘Grabody-T’ platform has the distinct feature of inducing ‘memory T-cell’ action to maximize anticancer effects,” adding, “It showed superior efficacy in animal tests compared to the blockbuster biopharmaceutical Herceptin, which forms a global market of about 8 trillion KRW, raising expectations for its future market potential.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.