Hanmi Pharmaceutical Advances Clinical Trials for BH3120, a Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy
Monday, November 25, 2024
Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Beijing Hanmi Pharmaceutical have made significant progress in the clinical development of BH3120, a novel immunotherapy targeting advanced cancers.
The latest updates on this innovative treatment were presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) conference, held in Houston, USA, from 6 to 10 November.
BH3120 is an advanced anticancer drug based on Hanmi’s proprietary dual-antibody platform, Pentambody. This technology enables a single antibody to target two distinct molecules simultaneously, offering a combined mechanism to destroy cancer cells while boosting immune cell activity.
Specifically, BH3120 targets PD-L1 on cancer cells and 4-1BB on immune cells, enhancing the immune system’s ability to detect and destroy tumours.
Unlike other antibodies targeting 4-1BB, which have encountered challenges in efficacy or safety, BH3120 has shown strong anticancer potential in preclinical studies. The drug’s mechanism distinguishes immune activity within the tumour microenvironment from normal tissues, demonstrating promise for effective and safer cancer treatment.
Hanmi's ongoing global Phase 1 clinical trial is evaluating the safety and tolerability of BH3120 as a monotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumours.
The trial, conducted in South Korea and the United States, has reached the third cohort of dose escalation (1 mg/kg) without significant safety concerns, such as dose-limiting toxicities or severe adverse reactions.
The company is also exploring BH3120 in combination with MSD’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab). Approval to modify the Phase 1 trial protocol was granted in September by regulatory authorities in both South Korea and the United States.
This adjustment will allow the evaluation of BH3120’s combined efficacy with KEYTRUDA, with full-scale clinical trials expected to begin next year. Hanmi will lead the study, while MSD will provide KEYTRUDA for the research.
The BH3120 trial marks a milestone for Hanmi as its first global clinical programme based on the Pentambody platform.
This approach aims to overcome the limitations of existing immunotherapies, paving the way for improved and safer treatments for cancer patients worldwide.
Source: prnewswire.com
