China-based Jiangxi Jemincare Group has announced that it has received approval from the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct a clinical study for its Category 1 drug, JYB1907, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting GARP and TGF-β1, in patients with locally advanced malignant solid tumors. The drug had previously obtained clinical trial approval in the US in December of the previous year.
JYB1907’s Mechanism of Action and Potential Impact on Immunotherapy
GARP is known to mediate transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1), a key factor contributing to drug resistance during immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. JYB1907 specifically binds to GARP/TGF-β 1, blocking GARP-mediated TGF-β 1, which reverses the immunosuppressive effect in the tumor microenvironment and enhances the anti-tumor immune response. In various human tumor cell PBMC humanized tumor animal models, JYB1907 demonstrated varying degrees of tumor growth inhibition, with more than half of the mice bearing the ZR-75-1 human breast cancer model experiencing complete tumor regression.
Combination Therapy with PD-L1 Antibody Shows Promising Results
When combined with the PD-L1 antibody, JYB1907 induced complete regression of tumors in some mice in the A375 human melanoma model, significantly outperforming the anti-tumor effect of the PD-L1 antibody alone. This indicates a pharmacodynamic enhancement effect of the combination therapy, suggesting that JYB1907 could be a valuable addition to current immunotherapeutic strategies.-Fineline Info & Tech
