Innovative antibody developer Akeso Inc. has entered into a partnership with oncology solutions company Summit Therapeutics to license the former’s breakthrough bispecific antibody, ivonescimab. The new agreement ties in nicely with Summit’s longstanding mission of developing and commercializing milestone oncology pipeline offerings that aim to improve the quality of life for patients with dire, unmet medical needs. Akeso’s upshot includes the chance to bring its advanced antibodies to new markets, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan, closing the gap in its ambition to become a top biopharma player on the worldwide stage.
“We believe the potential exists for enormous creation through this partnership,” said Summit’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Robert W. Duggan. “We are extremely encouraged by ivonescimab and the potential for improving the quality and duration of patients’ lives based on clinical data to support this point. Our shared mission and vision is to create a significant difference for the betterment of patient healthcare outcomes around the world."
The breakthrough antibody showed promising results in a phase 2 study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, wherein patients saw a median Progression-Free Survival (mPFS) time period of 8.2 months in combination with chemotherapy as compared to historical mPFS of 4.3 months for patients who had been treated with chemo alone, which is the current standard of care. A separate cohort also found ivonescimab in tandem with docetaxel could achieve a mPFS of 6.6 months; treatment with the latter alone, again the in-place standard of care, only achieved a mPFS of 4.5 months.
