Updated Efficacy Data of Ivonescimab Combined with Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for TNBC Presented at ESMO IO 2025

On December 10, 2025 Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) ("Akeso" or the "Company") reported the presentation of a Phase II clinical study that included a longer-term efficacy data evaluating ivonescimab (a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody) combined with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology Congress (ESMO IO) in London, UK.

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Based on positive efficacy and safety profile, the ivonescimab combination therapy for first-line TNBC was previously included in the Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) list by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Currently, the multicenter, randomized, double-blind Phase III clinical trial (HARMONi-BC1/AK112-308) for this indication is currently ongoing.

Preliminary results from this study were previously announced at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2024 and the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). With the follow-up period now extended to 22.1 months, the study further validates the efficacy and safety profile of the ivonescimab regimen in first-line TNBC treatment.

As of July 15, 2025, a total of 36 patients with TNBC were enrolled. The median age was 55 years, 83.3% of patients had a PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) <10, and 55.6% had received prior taxane-based neo/adjuvant therapy. As of the data cutoff, 35 patients had undergone at least one post-baseline tumor assessment and were included in the efficacy analysis set. The results showed that the ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy regimen demonstrated efficient tumor relief, disease control, and survival benefits in all PD-L1 subgroups of TNBC patients receiving first-line treatment. The key results are:

The objective response rate (ORR) for the overall population was 80.0%, the disease control rate (DCR) was 100.0%, and the median duration of response (mDOR) was 12.2 months; the median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 15.2 months, with a 12-month PFS rate of 56.3%.
In the CPS≥10 subgroup, the ORR was 83.3%, the DCR was 100%, the mDOR was 12.2 months; the mPFS was 15.9 months, with a 12-month PFS rate of 66.7%.
In the CPS<10 subgroup, the ORR was 79.3%, the DCR was 100%, the mDOR was 9.9 months; the mPFS was 13.04 months, with a 12-month PFS rate of 54.3%.
In the CPS≥1 subgroup, the ORR was 72.2%, the DCR was 100%, the mDOR was 12.2 months; the mPFS was 15.9 months, with a 12-month PFS rate of 63.8%.
Overall survival (OS) data is not yet mature.
Ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for TNBC demonstrated a good safety profile. No treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) led to discontinuation or death in this study, and the most common TRAEs were mostly grade 1-2.

(Press release, Akeso Biopharma, DEC 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234661352])

Genentech’s Giredestrant Reduced Risk of Invasive Disease Recurrence or Death by 30% in ER-Positive Early-Stage Breast Cancer

On December 10, 2025 Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), reported positive data from the Phase III lidERA Breast Cancer study evaluating investigational giredestrant as an adjuvant endocrine treatment for people with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, early-stage breast cancer. At the pre-specified interim analysis, adjuvant giredestrant significantly reduced the risk of invasive disease recurrence or death by 30% (invasive disease-free survival [iDFS]) compared with standard-of-care endocrine therapy (SoC ET) (hazard ratio [HR]=0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.87, p=0.0014). The lidERA results are being presented at the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and are included in the official press program.

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"In early ER-positive breast cancer, challenges with disease recurrence and treatment adherence mean there is an urgent need for more effective, tolerable endocrine therapies," said Aditya Bardia, M.D., M.P.H., director, breast oncology program, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), director of translational research integration at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and lidERA principal investigator. "After almost 25 years, a new medicine – giredestrant – has demonstrated superiority over existing endocrine therapies in the curative setting, highlighting its potential as a new standard-of-care endocrine therapy for patients with breast cancer."

"The substantial efficacy observed with giredestrant in the lidERA trial underscores its potential to become a new standard-of-care endocrine therapy in ER-positive early-stage breast cancer, where the chance for cure is highest," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. "We look forward to sharing these results with health authorities around the world with the aim of bringing this new treatment option to patients as soon as possible."

At three years, 92.4% of patients in the giredestrant arm were alive and free of invasive disease versus 89.6% in the SoC ET arm. The iDFS benefit was consistent across all clinically relevant subgroups. Overall survival (OS) data were immature at the time of this analysis, but a clear positive trend was observed. Follow-up for OS will continue to the next analysis. Giredestrant also demonstrated a 31% risk reduction of distant recurrence-free interval (HR=0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.89) – another key secondary endpoint. Giredestrant was well tolerated; adverse events were manageable and consistent with its known safety profile.

ER-positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 70% of breast cancer cases, and the majority are diagnosed in the early-stage. Currently, up to a third of people eventually experience recurrence on or after adjuvant endocrine therapy treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Additionally, many have to interrupt or stop treatment early due to safety or tolerability issues, thereby increasing the risk of death. These limitations underscore the need for more effective and better-tolerated options that can enhance adherence and prevent or delay disease recurrence.

Giredestrant is the first and only oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) to show superior iDFS in the adjuvant setting and lidERA is the second positive Phase III readout for giredestrant following the evERA Breast Cancer results in the metastatic setting. The scientific rationale for lidERA was supported by prior results in the neoadjuvant setting, including the coopERA trial showing that giredestrant was superior to an aromatase inhibitor in reducing malignant cell division (Ki67 levels). This growing body of evidence supports the potential of giredestrant to meaningfully improve outcomes compared with standard-of-care endocrine therapy across ER-positive early-stage and advanced breast cancer.

Genentech’s extensive giredestrant clinical development program spans multiple treatment settings and lines of therapy, reflecting our commitment to deliver innovative medicines to as many people with ER-positive breast cancer as possible.

About the lidERA Breast Cancer study
lidERA Breast Cancer [NCT04961996] is a Phase III, randomized, open-label, multicenter study evaluating the efficacy and safety of adjuvant giredestrant versus standard-of-care endocrine therapy in people with medium- or high-risk stage I-III estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer. Over 4,100 patients were enrolled in the study.

The primary endpoint is invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) excluding unrelated cancers in other organs (second primary non-breast cancers). Key secondary endpoints include overall survival, iDFS including second primary non-breast cancers, disease-free survival and safety.

About giredestrant
Giredestrant is an investigational, oral, next-generation selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) and full antagonist.

Giredestrant is designed to block estrogen from binding to the estrogen receptor, triggering its breakdown (known as degradation) and stopping or slowing down the growth of cancer cells.

Giredestrant has an extensive clinical development program and is being investigated in five company-sponsored Phase III clinical trials that span multiple treatment settings and lines of therapy to benefit as many people as possible:

Giredestrant versus standard-of-care endocrine therapy (SoC ET) as adjuvant treatment in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early-stage breast cancer (lidERA Breast Cancer; NCT04961996)
Giredestrant plus everolimus versus SoC ET plus everolimus in ER-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (evERA Breast Cancer; NCT05306340)
Giredestrant plus palbociclib versus letrozole plus palbociclib in ER-positive, HER2-negative, endocrine-sensitive, recurrent locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (persevERA Breast Cancer; NCT04546009)
Giredestrant plus investigator’s choice of a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor versus fulvestrant plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor in ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer resistant to adjuvant endocrine therapy (pionERA Breast Cancer; NCT06065748)
Giredestrant plus dual HER2 blockade versus dual HER2 blockade in ER-positive, HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (heredERA Breast Cancer; NCT05296798)

About estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer
Globally, the burden of breast cancer continues to grow, with 2.3 million women diagnosed and 670,000 dying from the disease every year. Breast cancer remains the number one cause of cancer-related deaths amongst women, and the second most common cancer type.

ER-positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 70% of breast cancer cases. A defining feature of ER-positive breast cancer is that its tumor cells have receptors that attach to estrogen, which can contribute to tumor growth.

Despite treatment advances, ER-positive breast cancer remains particularly challenging to treat due to its biological complexity. Patients often face the risk of disease progression, treatment side effects and resistance to endocrine therapy. There is an urgent need for more effective treatments that can delay clinical progression and reduce the burden of treatment on people’s lives.

(Press release, Genentech, DEC 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234661351])

Privo Technologies Begins Dosing PRV131 in Arm 3 Of Clinical Study CLN-004, A First-In-Class Cisplatin Intratumoral Injectable Targeting Oral Cavity Cancer

On December 10, 2025 Privo Technologies, Inc., reported that the first patient has been dosed in its first-in-human clinical trial evaluating PRV131, a nanoengineered intratumoral cisplatin injectable for the treatment of T1–T3 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

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The Phase 1/2 Dose Escalation and Dose Optimization Run-In Study (Arm 3 of CLN-004) is designed to refine dosing by evaluating safety, preliminary efficacy, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of PRV131 across selected dose levels as a neoadjuvant therapy. With the intention of debulking tumors prior to surgery, the goal of PRV131 is to improve surgical outcomes, preserve oral tissue, and reduce the morbidity associated with traditional surgical approaches.

The trial has now opened at the first clinical site, where the inaugural patient received treatment with PRV131, marking a key milestone in the development of novel locoregional therapies for head and neck cancer.

About PRV131

Built on Privo’s proprietary PRV Platform technology, PRV131 is a nanoengineered intratumoral injectable suspension designed to deliver high-concentration cisplatin directly into solid tumors while minimizing systemic exposure. This inaugural dosing represents an important expansion of the PRV program beyond topical and intraoperative patches (e.g., PRV111 and PRV211) toward intratumoral delivery of cisplatin for patients with oral cavity malignancies. PRV131 is engineered to address significant unmet needs in oral cavity cancer by:

Shrinking or debulking tumors prior to surgery to improve functional and cosmetic outcomes
Delivering high intratumoral drug concentration while limiting off-target toxicity
Potentially preserving form and function of the oral cavity, which can be severely impacted by standard surgical interventions
Preclinical studies have demonstrated that PRV131 can shrink or eliminate several solid tumor types, including squamous cell carcinomas, while generating durable responses. In companion animal studies conducted in dogs with large, naturally occurring tumors, PRV131 reduced tumor volumes by over 80% with no observed systemic toxicity.

"We are incredibly pleased to begin dosing patients with PRV131 in this first-in-human study," said Dr. Manijeh Goldberg, PhD, Founder and CEO of Privo Technologies. "Patients with oral cavity cancer often face invasive surgeries that can dramatically affect their ability to speak, eat, and live comfortably. PRV131 is designed to shrink tumors directly at the site, helping preserve critical oral structures and maintain function, offering the potential for meaningful improvements in quality of life. This milestone represents an important step in our mission to transform local cancer treatment with precise, targeted, nanoengineered chemotherapy."

(Press release, Privo Technologies, DEC 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234661350])

NuCana Presents Latest Data Demonstrating Clinical Activity and Favorable Safety for NUC-7738 in Patients with PD-1-Resistant Melanoma

On December 10, 2025 NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) ("NuCana" or the "Company") reported the latest clinical data at the annual European Society for Medical Oncology ("ESMO") Immuno-Oncology Congress, December 10-12, 2025, in London.

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The data from patients with PD-1 inhibitor-resistant metastatic melanoma treated with NUC-7738 in combination with pembrolizumab continue to demonstrate clinical activity and a favorable safety profile. All patients had progressive disease prior to starting treatment. Clinical activity includes two partial responses (one confirmed) and seven cases of stable disease, notably including one ongoing stable disease converting to a complete metabolic response with no detectable active disease. These results further reinforce the initial findings presented at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2024.

As of the most recent analysis, nine patients have been treated in the Expansion Cohort, which is part of the planned enrollment of up to 28 additional patients. Combined with the 12 patients previously treated in the Dose Confirmation Cohort, this will provide a total combination dataset comprising up to 40 patients. No new safety signals have been observed, and several patients remain on therapy with ongoing disease control, including one unconfirmed partial response and durable stable disease.

"We are very pleased to share the continued progress from this study," said Hugh S. Griffith, NuCana’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "The clinical activity and favorable safety profile of NUC-7738 support its potential to offer meaningful benefit for patients with advanced melanoma who have exhausted current treatment options."

Mr. Griffith added: "These findings support continued enrollment and further clinical advancement as we move toward a potential registrational pathway."

One of the study participants, who achieved complete metabolic response, was recently featured in the UK Channel 4 documentary series Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures, which also profiled Professor Sarah Blagden, the study’s lead investigator and Professor of Experimental Oncology at the University of Oxford.

Details of NuCana’s presentation at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 are as follows:

Abstract Title: A Phase 2 expansion study of NUC-7738 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with PD-1 inhibitor-resistant cutaneous melanoma (NuTide:701)

Poster Number: 321TiP

Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Presenting Author: Dr Miranda J. Payne

All regular abstracts accepted for presentation at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 have been published online via the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) website on Thursday, December 4 at 12:05 p.m. CET (Wednesday, December 3 at 6:05 p.m. ET). All accepted abstracts will be published online in the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 Abstract Book, a supplement to the official ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) journal, Immuno-Oncology and Technology (IOTECH).

More information regarding the 2025 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology Congress can be found at: View Source

(Press release, Nucana, DEC 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234661349])

NovaBridge Presents Positive Ragistomig Phase 1 Dose Expansion Data at ESMO-IO

On December 10, 2025 NovaBridge Biosciences (Nasdaq: NBP) (NovaBridge or the Company) a global biotechnology platform company committed to accelerating access to innovative medicines, reported the presentation of new data from the expanded 3mg/kg every 6 week (Q6W) Phase 1 dosing study for ragistomig, a bispecific 4-1BB X PD-L1 antibody, in a poster at the European Society for Medical Oncology – Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 (ESMO-IO 2025) by co-developer ABL Bio. The poster (Poster 257P), presented by Gerald Falchook, MD, Director of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) at HealthONE Denver, showed the new Q6W schedule demonstrated consistent monotherapy antitumor activity with improved immunological endpoints and tolerability.

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"We are very pleased by the impressive ragistomig Phase 1 dose expansion data presented today at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper)-IO, indicating that the prior Q2W schedule demonstrated meaningful clinical activity, and that the new Q6W dosing interval provides comparable efficacy with a more favorable safety profile. The study achieved its objective by extending the therapeutic window and supports the advancement of ragistomig into combination studies. We are particularly encouraged by the improved safety profile, with only 5% of patients experiencing ≥ Grade 3 liver function elevation, while maintaining comparable immune-mediated activity. These observations, combined with comparable confirmed responses and durable immune engagement, underpins our optimism that ragistomig has the potential to make an important contribution to more effective treatment outcomes for patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumor cancers," said Phillip Dennis, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of NovaBridge.

"Ragistomig was designed to overcome resistance in patients who relapsed after treatment with checkpoint inhibitors, a multi-billion dollar pillar of cancer treatment. The ragistomig data presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper)-IO build on the promising results presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2024. This program aligns well with our strategy to partner with innovators around the world to advance transformative and potentially breakthrough therapies. We are enthusiastic to collaborate with our partner, ABL Bio, to initiate combination studies," said Sean Fu, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of NovaBridge.

ESMO-IO Meeting information:


Title: Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Ragistomig (ABL503/TJ-L14B: PD-L1 × 4-1BB bispecific antibody) Q6W Dosing Balances Favorable Safety and Sustained Efficacy Through Extended Immunologic Memory and Reinvigoration of CD8+ T Cells

Abstract #688/Poster 257P

Date and Time: Wednesday, December 10th at 5:15 PM GMT
A copy of the poster will be available here after the session. To review an overview of the Phase 1 dose escalation data, click here.

Ragistomig Phase 1 Monotherapy Q6W Data (per October 22, 2025 data cut-off):


Ragistomig demonstrated comparable anti-tumor efficacy for the Q6W dose schedule compared to the Q2W regimen (58.8% disease control rate (DCR) at Q6W compared to 64.3% at Q2W)

Ragistomig exhibited a favorable and improved safety profile, with 1/20 Grade ≥3 liver function test elevations (LFT), no treatment discontinuations due to treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and no reported cytokine release syndrome (CRS)

Overall immune cell activity was consistent between the Q6W and Q2W dosing. Immune cell pharmacodynamics with the Q6W dosing demonstrated expansion of effector memory and CD8+ T cells, with attenuated Treg expansion, indicating durable immune engagement

The data suggest evaluation of the ongoing 5 mg/kg Q6W dosing cohort and evaluation of ragistomig in future combination studies
Patient Characteristics:


20 heavily pre-treated subjects received 3 mg/kg Q6W ragistomig. In this group, 100% were previously treated with immuno-oncology therapies and 70% had previously received ≥3 lines of systemic treatment and exhausted all available standard treatment options

Dosing is underway in 10 patients who are receiving 5 mg/kg Q6W ragistomig
Efficacy Results, based on 17 evaluable patients receiving 3 mg/kg Q6W v. 14 evaluable patients with 3 mg/kg Q2W

ABL503 monotherapy
efficacy profiile

3 mgkg Q6W
(N=17)

3 mg/kg Q2W
(N=14)

Objective Response Rate, n (%)

2 (11.8%)

4 (28.6%)

Disease Control Rate, n (%)

10 (58.8%)

9 (64.3%)

Complete response

0 (0%)

1 (7.1%)

Partial response

2 (11.8%)

3 (21.4%)

Stable disease

8 (47.1%)

5 (35.7%)

Progressive disease

7 (41.2%)

5 (35.7%)

Safety Data, based on 20 evaluable patients receiving 3 mg/kg Q6W v. 15 evaluable patients with 3 mg/kg Q2W

o
An improved safety profile was observed with the 3 mg/kg Q6W regimen
o
The 3 mg/kg Q6W regimen was identified as an optimal potential regimen for combination strategies
o
1/20 subjects (5%) experienced ≥Grade 3 LFT elevation at Q6W dosing v. 40% at Q2W dosing
o
TEAEs ≥Grade 3 were 50% at the Q6W (10/20) v. 66.7% (10/15) at 3 mg/kg Q2W. In the Q6W dose, these TEAEs, including LFT elevations, decreased platelet count, anemia and decreased neutrophil count, were recovered within 3-14 days (with or without treatment interventions), with no discontinuations
o
No cases of CRS were reported with either dosing schedule
Immunology Data:

o
Effector and memory CD8+ T cell subsets were increased, with comparable fold-changes between dosing groups, suggesting that immune mediated pharmacodynamic activity may contribute to efficacy
o
CTLA+ Treg frequencies remained near baseline in the Q6W group, suggesting a more favorable effector-to-regulatory balance
About Ragistomig

Ragistomig (also known as ABL503) is a differentiated novel bispecific that integrates a single-chain, Fc-silent PD-L1 segment as a tumor engager and 4-1BB segment as a conditional T cell activator. It was developed using ABL Bio’s "Grabody-T" bispecific antibody platform technology to overcome resistance to PD-(L)1 inhibition and stimulate 4-1BB activation only in the presence of PD-L1 expressing tumor cells, to minimize the risk of off-tumor toxicity. Preclinical studies demonstrated that the bispecific antibody showed better anti-tumor activity than its single-agent components. A Phase 1 dose expansion study (NCT04762641) is currently being conducted in the U.S. and South Korea. The study was designed with a primary endpoint of defining the dose-limiting toxicity and adverse event profile of ragistomig, as well as to observe the objective response rate, pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity profiles and other secondary endpoints.

Ragistomig (also known as ABL503) is being jointly developed with ABL Bio

ASCO 2024: the 2024 American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; Q6W: every six weeks

(Press release, NovaBridge Biosciences, DEC 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234661348])