Sino-US biotech firm LianBio (OTCMKTS: LIANY) has announced the signing of a clinical supply agreement with UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZ, NASDAQ: AZN). The agreement facilitates LianBio’s plan to test the combination of its pipeline SHP2 inhibitor, BBP-398, with AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso (osimertinib) in a Phase I clinical trial for patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial is expected to commence in the second half of 2023.
Background on BBP-398 and Its Development Rights
BBP-398 was discovered by BridgeBio in collaboration with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. LianBio acquired the rights to develop BB-398 in China and several Asian markets from BridgeBio in a deal that took place in August 2020. SHP2, the target of BBP-398, is a protein-tyrosine phosphatase that connects various signaling pathways, including those of growth factors and cytokines, with the RAS/ERK MAPK pathway, which is crucial for regulating cell proliferation and survival. LianBio is optimistic that BBP-398 could restore sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors in patients who have developed resistance, a significant concern given that EGFR mutations occur in approximately 40%-50% of all NSCLC cases in Asia.
Broadening the Therapeutic Potential of BBP-398
In addition to the planned trial with AstraZeneca, LianBio and BridgeBio (NASDAQ: BBIO) are exploring BBP-398 in various other treatment combinations. This includes a trial with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (BMS, NYSE: BMY) PD-1 antibody Opdivo (nivolumab) for KRAS-mutated cancers and another with Amgen’s (NASDAQ: AMGN) KRASG12C inhibitor Lumakras (sotorasib) for KRASG12C-mutated solid tumors, demonstrating the broad potential applications of BBP-398 in oncology.-Fineline Info & Tech
