Xencor “still committed” to oncology
Xencor has become the latest oncology company to switch focus to autoimmune diseases – and was rewarded by a 23% bump in its share price on Monday. But the group is “absolutely not” abandoning oncology entirely, execs said during a conference call; still, there appears to be no future for Xencor’s CD20-targeting bispecific antibody plamotamab in blood cancers, where it was in development before being ditched by Johnson & Johnson in June. The new focus for the project is rheumatoid arthritis. As well as outlining its new autoimmune push, Xencor highlighted two bispecific cancer projects: the ENPP3-targeting XmAb819, being developed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, and XmAb808, which hits B7-H3. The group said it had seen Recist responses with the former at doses below those expected to be active, but provided no actual data. B7-H3 is a popular target; meanwhile, according to OncologyPipeline the only other group with a clinical-stage ENPP3 asset is J&J, whose T-cell engager JNJ-87890387 is in phase 1 in solid tumours, including renal. A showdown with Xencor's old partner beckons.
Xencor’s oncology pipeline
| Project | Description | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vudalimab | Anti-PD-1 x CTLA-4 bispecific MAb | Ph2 Study-04 in mCRPC (+/- chemo); ph1/2 in 1L NSCLC (+ chemo) | Monotherapy data in mCRPC (Study-05) disappointed Feb 2024; data due H1 2025 in mCRPC (mono & combo cohort expansion) & NSCLC (chemo combo); go/no go decision due 2025 |
| XmAb819 | Anti-ENPP3 T-cell engager | Ph1 in r/r clear cell renal cell carcinoma | Expected to reach target dose in 2024; dose-escalation data due H1 2025 |
| XmAb808 | Anti-B7-H3 x CD28 bispecific MAb | Ph1 in solid tumours (+ Keytruda) | Expected to reach target dose in 2024; dose-escalation data due H1 2025 |
| XmAb541 | Anti-Claudin6 T-cell engager | Ph1 in gynaecologic solid tumours | Completes Dec 2027 |
| Plamotamab | Anti-CD20 T-cell engager | Ph1 in lymphoma | J&J pulled out of deal in Jun 2024, focus now on autoimmune |
| XmAb662 | IL-12/Fc fusion protein | Ph1 in solid tumours | Development “paused” Feb 2024 |
| XmAb968 | Anti-CD38 T-cell engager | Ph1 in r/r acute leukaemia & T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia | Data at ASH 2023, 2/12 CRs; no longer listed in pipeline |
Source: OncologyPipeline.
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