NEW YORK – Phanes Therapeutics on Monday began treating gastric, gastroesophageal junction, and pancreatic cancer patients in a Phase I trial of PT886, a bispecific antibody targeting Claudin 18.2 and CD47.
Phanes will enroll up to 58 patients with unresectable or metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal junction, and pancreatic cancer in the trial, including patients with tumors expressing Claudin 18.2 and HER2-overexpressing gastric and gastroesophageal tumors. In the dose-escalation phase of the study, Claudin 18.2 expression is not required for patients to enroll, but in the dose-expansion phase, patients' tumor samples must express this biomarker. The minimal level of Claudin 18.2 expression for the dose-expansion phase will be determined by assessment of tumor samples from the dose-escalation phase.
Last year, PT886 was granted orphan drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Phanes has three candidates in clinical development. Last year, the San Diego-based firm began a Phase I trial of its CD73 inhibitor PT199 in patients with advanced solid tumors, including those expressing CD73, PD-L1, and other biomarkers. The firm is also developing a DLL3 and CD47 bispecific antibody for small cell lung and neuroendocrine cancers.