NEW YORK – Hillstream Biopharma on Wednesday said it is refocusing its pipeline on HER2- and HER3-targeted anticancer therapies.
The firm aims to develop bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates targeting HER2 and HER3 and to continue pursuing novel candidates through its previously announced collaborations with Applied Biomedical Science Institute (ABSI) and Minotaur to develop novel bovine-derived biologics using its PicoKnob platform against highly validated targets including PD-1, HER2, and TROP-2.
Last week, Hillstream exclusively licensed technology from ABSI to develop antibodies targeting novel HER2 and HER3 conformational epitopes. The company also hopes to optimize its bispecific antibody candidates to have a more powerful bystander effect by adding novel toxin payloads that drugs can deliver to cancer cells overexpressing HER2 and HER3.
The pipeline reprioritization took into account "near-term value creation opportunity" and other factors, the firm said in the announcement. It will now focus on novel oncology assets that have strong competitive profiles and can address needs across multiple solid tumors, the firm said.
Hillstream's lead candidate, HSB-3215, is a bispecific antibody targeting HER2 and HER3. The candidate is currently in preclinical studies, and the firm expects to file an investigational new drug application for HSB-3215 in late 2024. The firm is also developing a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate targeting HER2 and HER3 and an anti-PD-1 antibody that are in earlier preclinical studies.
Hillstream, based in Bridgewater, New Jersey, was previously developing drugs to address treatment-resistant cancers. Its prior lead candidate was HSB-1216, which targeted ferroptosis, an anti-cancer mechanism resulting in iron-mediated cell death of drug-resistant cancers.