Another PD-1/VEGF bispecific emerges

PD-(L)1 x VEGF bispecifics are among the hottest property in oncology right now, and a new asset has joined the fray: jankistomig, from the just-unveiled Ottimo Pharma. Unlike many other projects in this class, jankistomig wasn’t licensed from China, but rather was developed by Jonny Finlay, Ottimo’s chief scientific advisor and co-founder, a spokesperson for the company told ApexOnco. Ottimo’s other claim to fame is that it’s being headed up by David Epstein, formerly chief exec of Seagen. The group was formed in 2020 with backing from the European investment firm Medicxi, but until September it went under the name Ultrahuman Eight. Jankistomig is still early – Ottimo expects to file an IND in late 2025 – so details are sparse, but it appears to be based on an engineered version of the PD-1 inhibitor camrelizumab that has been shown also to hit VEGFR2. Ottimo reckons that selectivity for VEGFR2 will minimise VEGF-related side effects; jankistomig is the only PD-(L)1 x VEGFR2 bispecific in development, according to OncologyPipeline.