F-star updates on FS118 Clinical Trial and Announces Presentation at ASCO 2019

May 30, 2019 Off By BusinessWire
  • Dose escalation phase of the study completed up to the maximum
    planned dose of

    20 mg/kg without dose-limiting toxicities
    (DLT) to date
  • Preliminary patient pharmacodynamic (PD) data support continued
    clinical development
  • Phase 1 study design featured at ASCO 2019

CAMBRIDGE, England–(BUSINESS WIRE)–F-star, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company delivering
tetravalent bispecific antibodies for a paradigm-shift in cancer
therapy, today provides a Phase 1 clinical update on its wholly-owned
lead programme FS118 and announces a presentation at the ASCO Annual
Meeting (Chicago, 01 June 2019). The abstract is currently available on
the meeting
library webpage
.

FS118 is a LAG-3/PD-L1-targeting tetravalent bispecific antibody, in a
Phase 1 study in patients with late stage solid tumours who have
relapsed following prior PD-(L)1 therapy. The objectives of the study
are to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of FS118, as well as
clinical activity and immunogenicity. Exploratory assessment of
pharmacodynamic response markers are also included.

As a supplement to the ASCO presentation, F-star provides an update on
the Phase 1 study, showing:

  • FS118 weekly treatment is well tolerated at all dose levels tested to
    date and has reached the planned highest dose level without occurrence
    of DLT in the treatment of 29 subjects recruited to date
  • Modulation of soluble LAG-3 in patients’ serum as a PD marker of
    target engagement

“We are very encouraged by the FS118 emerging safety profile and by
the early pharmacodynamic observations in advanced cancer patients who
have relapsed following PD-(L)1 containing treatments”
said
Neil Brewis, Chief Scientific Officer of F-star. “LAG-3 is
an exciting target in clinical immuno-oncology as it is involved in the
development of PD-(L)1-resistance in many indications. We believe FS118
is an important part of the exciting next wave of checkpoint therapies
and we are looking forward to generating additional data to validate our
approach.”

The study is advancing as expected and is currently recruiting in the
expansion cohorts of the two highest dose levels. First study data,
including six-month data on clinical response, are expected to be
released in Q1 2020.

Details of the poster are below:

A first-in-human phase I study of FS118, an anti-LAG-3/PD-L1
bispecific antibody in patients with solid tumors that have progressed
on prior PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

Category: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology

Date and Time: 01 June from 08:00 – 11:00

Poster Session: Board #292a

Location: McCormick Place – Chicago, IL

Abstract Number: TPS2652

The poster will be available on F-star’s website at the end of the
conference.

– ENDS –

About F-star

F-star is a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company delivering
tetravalent bispecific antibodies for a paradigm-shift in cancer
therapy. By developing medicines that seek to block tumour immune
evasion, the Company’s goal is to offer patients greater and more
durable benefits than current immuno-oncology treatments. Through its
proprietary tetravalent, bispecific antibody (mAb²™) format, F-star is
generating first- and best-in-class drug candidates with monoclonal
antibody-like manufacturability. Building on the combined expertise of
its world-class management team and scientific leadership, F-star is
poised to deliver the next breakthrough immunotherapies for cancer
patients.

Find out more at www.f-star.com.
Connect with us via LinkedIn
and Twitter

About FS118

Currently in a Phase 1 trial at four clinical sites in the United
States, FS118 is a potentially first-in-class medicine for the treatment
of resistant and refractory cancer. This tetravalent, bispecific
antibody is developed to overcome tumour evasion mechanisms promoted by
two highly immuno-suppressive molecules: LAG-3 (Lymphocyte-Activation
Gene 3) and PD-L1 (Programmed Death-Ligand 1). By simultaneously
blocking both inhibitory pathways, FS118 has preclinically demonstrated
a potent anti-tumour growth activity(1) as well as a highly
differentiated mechanism of action(2) when compared to
checkpoint monotherapies alone or in combinations.

In April 2018, a Phase 1 clinical study started in patients who have
relapsed following a prior

PD-(L)1-containing therapy. Information about the trial is available on
clinicaltrials.gov NCT03440437.
FS118 is manufactured at 2000L scale using standard mAb manufacturing
processes.

(1) Dual
blockade of PD-L1 and LAG-3 with FS118, a unique bispecific antibody,
induces CD8+ T cell activation and modulates the tumour microenvironment
to promote anti-tumour immune responses. Kraman et al. (April 2018) –
Poster at the annual AACR meeting

(2) LAG-3/PD-L1
mAb² can overcome PD-L1-mediated compensatory upregulation of LAG-3
induced by single-agent checkpoint blockade. Faroudi et al. (March 2019)
– Poster at the annual AACR meeting

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