On January 22, 2026 Ellipses Pharma Limited ("Ellipses"), a clinical-stage oncology drug development company with a pipeline of innovative programmes, reported that it has entered into a collaboration and licence agreement with Innolake Biopharm Co. Ltd ("Innolake") to develop a clinical stage first-in-class antibody drug conjugate (ADC).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Under the partnership, Ellipses gains rights to develop a B7H3 targeted ADC with an eribulin payload (ILB-3101) worldwide excluding greater China. ILB-3101 has the potential to treat multiple tumour types and to address resistance to topoisomerase-1 based ADCs. ILB-3101 is designated as EP0028 by Ellipses.

Ellipses and Innolake will collaborate closely on the development of ILB-3101/EP0028, which is currently in a Phase 1 trial in China sponsored by Innolake. Ellipses will initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the US with expansion to Europe and other territories following relevant regulatory approvals.

EP0028 is an important addition to Ellipses’ clinical-stage pipeline and is the second programme Ellipses has in-licensed from an innovative biotech company based in China. The first programme, EP0031, is a next-generation selective RET inhibitor developed by Kelun Biotech, which Ellipses is currently advancing through Phase 2 trials.

Professor Sir Chris Evans, OBE, Executive Chair of Ellipses, commented: "We are delighted to bring this differentiated ADC into our pipeline. EP0028 has the potential to address unmet needs in a range of indications and further strengthens our strategy to develop Chinese originated assets in the West."

Professor Tobias Arkenau, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer of Ellipses, commented: "Ellipses’ decision to in-license EP0028 is a significant milestone for us in continuing our mission to develop new cancer drugs for patients with high unmet clinical needs. Our collaboration with Innolake is another great opportunity to develop innovative cancer drugs globally, robustly and at speed to serve our communities."

Mingde Xia, CEO of Innolake, commented: "This partnership is a great validation of our technology and capabilities. Having advanced ILB-3101 from early discovery through to the clinic, we are delighted to collaborate with Ellipses and look forward to bringing this innovative therapy to patients worldwide."

(Press release, Ellipses Pharma, JAN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234662177])

On January 22, 2026 CorriXR Therapeutics, an oncology focused biotherapeutics company developing genetic medicines to overcome drug resistance in solid tumors, reported that its novel CRISPR-directed disruption of the transcription factor NRF2 can restore chemosensitivity in head and neck and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma models. The preclinical data were published in Molecular Therapy Oncology. The study, conducted in collaboration with scientists at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute (GEI), reinforces CorriXR’s previously reported data in lung cancer models and highlights how CRISPR targeting of NRF2 can disrupt tumor cells’ protective mechanisms and potentially boost patients’ bodies’ ability to respond more effectively to standard chemotherapy.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"For patients with solid tumor cancers, once their tumors become resistant to chemotherapy, treatment options narrow and are often more toxic to them," said Eric B Kmiec, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CorriXR Therapeutics and Executive Director of GEI. "These data from CorriXR’s first-in-class editing approach suggest that by precisely disrupting NRF2, we may be able to reopen the window to standard treatments and potentially do so at lower doses; this could translate into better control of disease with fewer side effects for patients."

NRF2 is a master regulator of cellular stress responses and a well-established driver of treatment resistance in multiple cancers, making it an attractive but historically "undruggable" target for therapeutic intervention. CorriXR is advancing essential studies to support an IND filing in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) as a potential first clinical indication.

Head and neck cancer, 90% of which is HNSCC, is the seventh most diagnosed cancer worldwide, with annual incidence predicted to reach one million new cases by 2030. With 50% of patients experiencing recurrence within two years, there is a significant need for new approaches that can overcome resistance to current treatment paradigms. CorriXR anticipates completion of additional in vivo studies in HNSCC in combination with chemotherapy and radiation in the first half of 2026.

Study Overview

Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 complexes to disrupt NRF2 in hypopharyngeal (FaDu) and esophageal (KYSE‑410) squamous cell carcinoma cells and then assessed gene editing outcomes, NRF2 pathway activity, and response to cisplatin and 5‑fluorouracil. Key study findings include:

High levels of on-target editing produced substantial reductions in NRF2 protein levels, decreased expression of downstream stress response genes, and significantly restored chemosensitivity.
Genetic disruption of NRF2 alone is sufficient to disrupt its ability to activate the genes that defend tumor cells.
Enhanced chemosensitivity after NRF2 disruption persisted over time, creating a treatment window for combination therapy.
The choice of CRISPR editing site on NRF2 influences both the functional impact on NRF2 and which cells are affected by the edit. Editing that disrupts a functional binding domain enables an approach that is agnostic to and independent of genetic mutations in the cancer cells.
"These findings complement previously published data from CorriXR and GEI showing that tumor-specific NRF2 editing in lung cancer models can resensitize tumors to standard chemotherapy and reduce tumor growth in vivo, thereby reinforcing NRF2 as a central node for overcoming drug resistance," said Natalia Rivera-Torres, Ph.D., lead author of the study and Associate Director of Research at GEI.

Kmiec added, "What is most encouraging about this work is that we are giving existing drugs a second chance to work in tumors that have learned how to evade them, enabling patients to benefit more, and longer, from proven regimens, with a better quality of life."

(Press release, CorriXR Therapeutics, JAN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234662176])

On January 22, 2026 Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) reported to have partnered on a new award, the ICRF-CRI Immunotherapy Collaborative Project Grant, given to Dr. Asaf Madi, PhD, of Tel Aviv University. Dr. Madi was awarded $180,000 over a three-year period to support his research on refining tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy to predict response and overcome drug resistance in melanoma.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We are honored to once again partner with CRI, a world-class immunotherapy research organization, on this cutting-edge project," said Alan Herman, ICRF’s Executive Director. "There is a clear, unmet need for personalized treatments like TIL therapy, and Dr. Madi’s research into adoptive cell transfer could offer new hope to melanoma patients in urgent need of better options."

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using TILs is a promising personalized immunotherapy for melanoma, shown to improve survival in advanced cases. However, many patients do not respond, and others develop resistance, limiting the long-term effectiveness of this approach. Dr. Madi’s research aims to address these challenges by identifying predictive biomarkers, uncovering mechanisms of tumor resistance, and optimizing TIL selection and expansion to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Dr. Madi and his team are studying the gene circuits that program immune cells, controlling their differentiation, activation, and regulation. By examining how T cells behave in tumors, particularly following immunotherapy, they aim to determine why some T cells sustain anti-tumor activity while others become exhausted or suppressed. Insights from this work will guide the selection and engineering of more potent TIL populations capable of durable tumor targeting and generating long-term immune memory, reducing the risk of cancer recurrence.

"This collaboration reflects what progress in immunotherapy really looks like—bringing together partners, data, and discovery to tackle resistance head-on," said Alicia Zhou, PhD, CEO of CRI. "By understanding why some immune cells persist while others fail, Dr. Madi’s work moves us closer to making personalized cell therapies like TILs more reliable, more durable, and more transformative for patients with melanoma."

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. In the U.S. alone, over 100,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and advanced melanoma can be resistant to standard treatments. Because it can spread quickly and evade therapies, developing new, effective treatments is critical to improve survival and offer hope to patients and their families worldwide.

Dr. Asaf Madi earned his Ph.D. in computational immunology at Tel Aviv University in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science, studying B cell and T cell repertoires. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, focusing on T-cell differentiation and cancer immunology. Dr. Madi then returned to Tel Aviv University, where he is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology, leading a team that drives the development of novel anti-cancer therapies.

(Press release, Cancer Research Institute, JAN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234662175])

On January 22, 2026 PAQ Therapeutics, a clinical-stage oncology company developing novel targeted protein degradation therapies for KRAS-driven cancers, reported the closing of a Series B extension, bringing the company’s total Series B financing to $77 million, and the dosing of the first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating PT0511, the company’s pan-KRAS degrader.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The Series B extension builds on PAQ’s previously announced Series B financing, with participation from existing as well as new investors, and further strengthens the company’s balance sheet to advance multiple clinical programs. Proceeds from the financing will support the ongoing Phase 1 development of PT0253, PAQ’s KRAS G12D degrader, as well as the clinical advancement of PT0511.

"Completing this Series B extension and dosing the first patient in our PT0511 Phase 1 study represent important milestones for PAQ," said Nan Ji, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of PAQ Therapeutics. "Together, these achievements highlight our continued execution against a multi-program clinical strategy and our focus on addressing significant unmet need across KRAS-driven cancers."

PT0511 is a pan-KRAS degrader designed to target multiple oncogenic KRAS variants. The Phase 1 study is a first-in-human, open-label, dose-escalation trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of PT0511 in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring KRAS alterations.

"The initiation of clinical dosing with PT0511 expands our clinical portfolio beyond single-mutation KRAS targeting," said Andrew Krivoshik, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of PAQ Therapeutics. "A pan-KRAS degradation approach has the potential to address key limitations for patients observed with existing KRAS- or pan-RAS inhibitor therapies."

PAQ continues to advance a differentiated KRAS pipeline by leveraging targeted protein degradation to achieve deep and selective suppression of oncogenic signaling, while maintaining favorable safety and combinability profiles.

(Press release, PAQ Therapeutics, JAN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234662174])

On January 22, 2026 Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOTH), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing innovative therapies for cancer patients with significant unmet needs, reported positive interim results from the open-label pharmacokinetic (PK) cohort of its ongoing CLEER-001 clinical trial evaluating HT-001 in cancer patients receiving EGFR inhibitor therapy.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

In the open-label PK cohort, 100% of evaluable patients achieved clinical response by Week 6, accompanied by a ~50% reduction in investigator-assessed disease severity from baseline. In addition to the primary endpoint, supportive clinical endpoints showed meaningful improvements, including a ~34% improvement in oncology toxicity (CTCAE) and a ~37% reduction in patient-reported pruritus, highlighting a broad and consistent treatment effect across multiple clinically relevant measures.

Primary Endpoint: Marked Improvement in Disease Severity (ARIGA)

The primary endpoint of CLEER-001 assessed disease severity using the ARIGA scale. In the open-label PK cohort, mean ARIGA scores improved from 1.67 at baseline to 0.83 at Week 6, representing an approximate 50% reduction in severity.

Importantly, all evaluable patients reached ARIGA ≤1 by Week 6, placing the entire evaluable cohort within the low-severity disease range. Improvements were observed as early as Week 3 and were maintained through Week 6, demonstrating both rapid onset and durability of response.

Additional Endpoints: Improvement in Oncology Toxicity and Patient-Reported Symptoms

Beyond the primary endpoint, HT-001 demonstrated meaningful improvements across additional clinically relevant endpoints:

Oncology Toxicity (CTCAE):
Investigator-assessed CTCAE scores improved from 2.0 at baseline to 1.33 at Week 6, representing an approximate 34% improvement in treatment-related toxicity. CTCAE is a core oncology toxicity scale frequently used to guide dose modification, interruption, or discontinuation of cancer therapies.
Pruritus (Patient-Reported NRS):
Mean pruritus scores improved from 4.22 at baseline to 2.67 at Week 6, representing approximate 37% reduction in symptom severity. This level of improvement exceeds commonly accepted thresholds for clinically meaningful benefit and is directly relevant to patient comfort, quality of life, and treatment adherence.
Favorable Tolerability and PK-Supported Dosing

HT-001 was well tolerated in the open-label PK cohort, with no unexpected safety signals observed. The PK portion of CLEER-001 was designed to evaluate exposure, tolerability, and early clinical signal, and the observed consistent improvements across investigator-assessed and patient-reported endpoints support the selected dosing regimen and continued clinical development.

Oncology Context and Unmet Need

EGFR inhibitors are cornerstone therapies across multiple major cancer indications, including lung, colorectal, and head-and-neck cancers. However, treatment-related toxicity and symptom burden remain among the most common and dose-limiting challenges, often impacting treatment continuity and outcomes. The CLEER-001 results highlight HT-001’s potential to serve as an important oncology supportive-care therapy, helping patients remain on effective, life-extending cancer treatments.

Management Commentary

"These results represent a meaningful milestone for HT-001," said Robb Knie, Chief Executive Officer of Hoth Therapeutics. "Seeing 100% clinical response in the open-label PK cohort, along with a ~50% reduction in disease severity and additional improvements in oncology toxicity and patient-reported symptoms, underscores the potential of HT-001 to improve the treatment experience for cancer patients receiving EGFR inhibitors. We are encouraged by the breadth and consistency of these findings as the CLEER-001 trial continues."

About HT-001

HT-001 is Hoth Therapeutics’ proprietary topical therapy under investigation for the management of treatment-related toxicity and symptom burden in cancer patients receiving targeted therapies, including EGFR inhibitors.

(Press release, Hoth Therapeutics, JAN 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234662173])