On April 21, 2025 Acepodia (6976: TT) reported the presentation of new preclinical data highlighting its proprietary dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (AD2C) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Press release, Acepodia, APR 21, 2025, View Source [SID1234652001]). The data will be featured at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2025, which will take place from April 25 to April 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

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The poster presentation, titled "Development of dual-payload anti-GPC3 antibody-drug conjugate by dual-payload antibody conjugation (AD2C) platform for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment," showcases the company’s next-generation ADC generated using Acepodia’s AD2C platform. This platform allows for the conjugation of two distinct payloads to a single antibody without the need of antibody engineering or enzymatic conjugation. AD2C, carrying payloads with different mechanisms of action, offer enhanced therapeutic potency by targeting diverse cell populations in heterogeneous tumors or overcoming resistance to single-payload therapy.

Presentation Details:

Session Title: Novel Drug Delivery Technologies
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Date and Time: April 28, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
Location: McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL
Poster Board Number: 4 | Poster Section: 23
Abstract Number: 1785

"Acepodia’s dual-payload ADC approach is designed to address key limitations of current single-payload therapies," said Dr. Sonny Hsiao, Chairman and CEO of Acepodia. "By combining targeted delivery with enhanced cytotoxicity, this platform holds promise for more effective treatment of liver cancer and other solid tumors." AD2C platform provides a novel, antibody-engineering-free approach to generate dual-payload ADCs, offering a potential solution to tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance in cancer treatment.

The company’s AD2C pipeline is part of its broader portfolio of conjugation technologies derived from the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, enabling the site-specific delivery of therapeutic payloads using bioorthogonal click chemistry.

On April 21, 2025 DAAN Biotherapeutics, a leading innovative drug development company specializing in T-Cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies, reported that it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with GC Cell, a gene and cell therapy firm, for the tumor antigen-specific antibody sequence (Press release, DAAN Bio Therapeutics, APR 21, 2025, View Source [SID1234652002]). The agreement grants GC Cell exclusive rights to utilize DAAN Biotherapeutics’ antibody sequence in the research and development of CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) and CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell) therapies.

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The antibody at the center of the agreement targets a tumor antigen that is highly overexpressed in major solid cancers, including lung and colorectal cancers, and this antigen has continually been used by several pharmaceutical companies in the development of next-generation cancer therapies. The antibody provided by DAAN Biotherapeutics offers enhanced specificity compared to existing antibodies, allowing itself to be positioned as a promising candidate for cell therapies. This increased precision is expected to significantly reduce side effects while improving therapeutic outcomes, making it a more effective option than existing treatments. The combination of GC Cell’s advanced CAR cell-therapy technology and DAAN Biotherapeutics’ antibody technology is expected to significantly enhance the effectiveness of CAR cell therapies.

The licensing deal includes an upfront payment, milestone payments tied to development and commercialization stages, and royalties based on future sales. Specific financial and contractual details remain confidential to safeguard proprietary technologies and business strategies. Both companies view this collaboration as a pivotal step toward the commercialization of cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors.

Byoung-Chul Cho, MD, the CEO of DAAN Biotherapeutics, stated, "We will continue to innovate our technologies to develop cancer treatments that will change the lives of patients."

On April 18, 2025 Ymmunobio AG (YB), a Swiss-based global biotech company dedicated to the development of new cancer therapeutics, reported that its two-antibody drug conjugate (ADC) assets, YB-800ADC1 and YB-800ADC2, have completed the preclinical proof of concept studies (Press release, Ymmunobio, APR 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234651987]). Both in vivo and in vitro studies have reached this important milestone by demonstrating the anti-tumor efficacy of both ADCs.

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The ADCs are derived from YB’s lead antibody YB-800 which targets a novel and first in class tumor marker. They utilize established payloads and a third-generation linker, demonstrating a tumor growth inhibition of 90%.

"These excellent results allow YB to move forward swiftly to prepare for the pivotal toxicology studies. This is a major step towards the clinical development of our ADCs in solid tumors and demonstrates the potential for YB’s ADCs to address unmet needs for cancer patients expressing the new novel tumor marker. In addition, the proof-of-concept data support the preclinical development of the two YB-800 based radiopharmaceuticals developed in collaboration with the Paul Scherer Institute," said Peter Schiemann, CEO.

On April 18, 2025 SparX Biopharmaceutical Corp. reported that it will present clinical updates on its lead asset, SPX-303, a first-in-class anti-LILRB2/PD-L1 bispecific antibody, during the Trial-in-Progress poster session at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on April 28, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Press release, Sparx Therapeutics, APR 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234651986]). The presentation marks the one-year anniversary of the first patient dosing of this novel bispecific antibody in its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial.

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A more comprehensive overview of SPX-303’s dual mechanism, which targets both myeloid and T-cell immune checkpoints, will be featured at a Satellite Symposium themed "Harnessing Super Immunotherapy and ADCs to Redefine the Standard of Care." Co-hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago Cancer Center and Yao Yuan—Academy for Pharma Innovation, the symposium will convene expert clinicians, academic investigators, and industry leaders to discuss how next-generation immuno-oncology, known as "Super IO," can be synergized with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). This innovative approach combines the tumor-targeting precision of ADCs with the immune-activating power of checkpoint inhibitors, aiming to deliver deeper and more durable anti-tumor responses.

SPX-303, a first-in-class bispecific antibody targeting LILRB2 and PD-L1, is currently enrolling patients with resistant or refractory solid tumors at a dose level of 20 mg/kg. "This innovative program represents a significant advancement in macrophage checkpoint blockade and T cell co-engagement strategies," said Dr. Gui-Dong Zhu, CEO of SparX. "It holds promise as a potential next-generation immuno-oncology therapy—or ‘Super IO’ booster—for patients with limited treatment options."

The SPX-303 poster will be presented at Poster #CT116-11 in the Phase I Clinical Trials in Progress session at McCormick Place, Chicago, on April 28, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. The Satellite Symposium will be held at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago (401 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611). SparX welcomes attendees to visit its exhibition booth during the symposium and strongly encourages early registration via the [registration portal] to secure a seat.

About SPX-303

SPX-303 is a first-in-its-class bispecific antibody therapy designed to simultaneously inhibit LILRB2 and PD-L1, two critical immune checkpoint proteins often hijacked by cancer cells. The program represents a novel immunotherapy approach aimed at activating both myeloid and lymphoid immune responses.

On April 17, 2025 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company developing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs targeting oncological and inflammatory diseases, reported that leading Medical Centers in the US are approaching the FDA, asking for compassionate use approval to treat patients with pancreatic carcinoma with the company oncological drug Namodenoson (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, APR 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234651970]).

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Namodenoson has recently received FDA approval for its first single-patient compassionate use treatment, marking a significant milestone in its clinical journey. This approval has sparked growing interest from oncologists at leading U.S. medical centers, who are now seeking to treat their pancreatic cancer patients with Namodenoson under compassionate use protocols.

Simultaneously, Can-Fite is actively enrolling patients in Israel for a Phase IIa study—an open-label trial designed for individuals with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has progressed despite at least first-line therapy. The trial aims to assess the safety, clinical activity, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of Namodenoson in this challenging patient population. The study is led by Dr. Salomon Stemmer, a renowned key opinion leader at the Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Israel. Notably, Namodenoson has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. FDA, further underscoring its potential as a promising therapeutic option.

"We are thrilled that more top-tier U.S. medical centers are recognizing the potential of Namodenoson and are eager to participate in our compassionate use program," said Motti Farbstein, CEO of Can-Fite. "Our goal is to provide this underserved patient population with a novel treatment that may extend survival and improve quality of life."

About Namodenoson

Namodenoson is a small orally bioavailable drug that binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Namodenoson is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase III trial for advanced liver cancer, a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), and in a Phase IIa study in pancreatic cancer. A3AR is highly expressed in diseased cells whereas low expression is found in normal cells. This differential expression may be one of the important factors that accounts for the excellent safety profile of the drug.