China-based Adagene Inc. (NASDAQ: ADAG) announced the initiation of an Investigator-Initiated (IIT) Phase II trial for muzastotug (ADG126) as a neoadjuvant therapy for patients with stage II or stage III colorectal cancer.
Drug Profile
Muzastotug is a masked, anti-CTLA-4 SAFEbody that targets a unique epitope of CTLA-4 in regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the tumor microenvironment. It has demonstrated potential best-in-class safety and efficacy when combined with Merck, Sharp & Dohme Inc.’s (MSD, NYSE: MRK) PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
Mechanism and Advantages
Unlike traditional approaches where Fc segment optimization is associated with significantly increased toxicity, ADG126, without Fc end optimization, exhibits stronger antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by targeting unique epitopes. Additionally, ADG126 has extremely low immunogenicity and produces very few anti-drug antibodies, which does not affect its pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics.-Fineline Info & Tech
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