On April 8, 2026 Sidewinder Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of next-generation bispecific ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) for the treatment of cancer, reported the closing of an oversubscribed $137 million Series B financing. The round was co-led by Frazier Life Sciences and Novartis Venture Fund, with participation from the sole Series A investor OrbiMed as well as new investors including Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, DCVC Bio, Samsara BioCapital, Longwood Fund, Astellas Venture Management and Alexandria Venture Investments. Concurrent with the financing, Daniel Estes, Ph.D., from Frazier Life Sciences, Michal Silverberg from Novartis Venture Fund, Josh Richardson, M.D., from Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives and John Hamer, Ph.D., from DCVC Bio were named to the Board of Directors.

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"We are pleased to receive the support of this exceptional group of investors and their shared enthusiasm in advancing Sidewinder’s mission to develop next-generation bispecific ADCs for difficult to treat cancers," said Eric Murphy, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Sidewinder Therapeutics. "The ADC field is at an inflection point driven by technological breakthroughs enabling next-generation bispecific ADCs, and Sidewinder is eager to lead this wave of innovation and advance promising therapies for patients with cancer."

Sidewinder’s mission focuses on developing bispecific ADCs designed to target receptor co-complexes that are highly expressed on certain solid tumors. The pipeline features bispecific antibodies engineered from internally discovered antibody sequences and finely tuned to target tumor-specific co-complexes consisting of an oncogenic driver receptor and an internalizing receptor. Precise targeting of these co-complexes enhances both tumor cell specificity and internalization, thereby improving the delivery of drugs to cancer cells while avoiding normal cells. Sidewinder’s programs are designed to address oncology indications that have limited treatment options and affect substantial patient populations such as squamous cell carcinomas in lung and head and neck cancers as well as gastrointestinal cancers including colorectal cancer. The company expects to advance its lead program into clinical development in 2027.

"Founded on compelling science and a differentiated approach, Sidewinder’s novel bispecific ADC pipeline has the potential to address key hurdles limiting safety and efficacy for this class of therapeutics," said Daniel Estes, Ph.D., General Partner at Frazier Life Sciences. "We believe that Sidewinder Therapeutics will significantly advance the ADC space and is well positioned to transform the treatment paradigm for cancer patients."

(Press release, Sidewinder Therapeutics, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664253])

On April 8, 2026 Innate Pharma SA (Euronext Paris: IPH; Nasdaq: IPHA) ("Innate" or the "Company"), reported that Yannis Morel, Chief Operating Officer, will present at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Oncology Industry Partnering Event: From Cancer Discoveries to Patients. Yannis Morel will present in the Showcase Session 2 on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 6:10 PM PDT, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

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The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Oncology Industry Partnering Event is an annual forum that brings together venture capitalists, investment bankers, biotech and pharmaceutical scientific and business leaders focused on oncology drug development and entrepreneurship. The showcase sessions provide selected biotechnology companies the opportunity to highlight their oncology pipelines, platforms, and strategies for innovation directly to an audience of analysts and investors.

"We are delighted to have been selected to present at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Oncology Industry Partnering Event, which is a unique forum bringing together biotech, pharma and investors. Innate Pharma’s selection to present during this forum is a recognition of our exciting clinical pipeline and provides a valuable opportunity to share the progress of our key assets including IPH4502 our Nectin-4 ADC. We look forward to the conversations that these interactions can spark and their potential to accelerate the development of our differentiated therapies for patients," said Yannis Morel, Chief Operating Officer of Innate Pharma.

Presentation Details
•AACR Oncology Industry Partnering Event: From Cancer Discoveries to Patients
•Session: Showcase Session 2, Meeting Room 11
•Date/Time: Thursday, April 16, 2026, 6:10 PM PDT
•Presenter: Yannis Morel, Chief Operating Officer, Innate Pharma
•Location: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California

(Press release, Innate Pharma, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664237])

On April 8, 2026 Hemispherian AS, a clinical-stage oncology company developing novel small molecule therapeutics, reported the initiation of a first-in-human Phase 1/2a clinical trial of GLIX1 in patients with recurrent and progressive glioblastoma (GBM) and other high-grade gliomas (NCT07464925). The study is being conducted in collaboration with BioLineRx Ltd. (NASDAQ/TASE: BLRX).

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GLIX1 is an orally available, first-in-class small molecule designed to activate TET2 and drive tumor-selective DNA damage. By restoring TET2 activity, GLIX1 induces DNA damage selectively in cancer cells, representing a differentiated approach to targeting the DNA damage response with potential applicability across a broad range of tumors.

Glioblastoma was selected as the initial indication due to its highly suppressed TET2 activity and significant unmet medical need. Despite existing therapies, GBM remains one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers.

In extensive preclinical studies, including orthotopic in vivo GBM models, GLIX1 demonstrated:

Potent anti-tumor activity
Robust blood-brain barrier penetration
Favorable safety profile in toxicology studies
The trial will be conducted across three leading academic centers. The first site to initiate patient enrollment is NYU Langone Health, led by Dr. Alexandra Miller. Additional sites include Northwestern University, led by Dr. Roger Stupp and Dr. Ditte Primdahl, and Moffitt Cancer Center, led by Dr. Patrick Grogan.

"The initiation of this Phase 1/2a study marks a defining milestone for Hemispherian and represents the culmination of years of dedicated research and development work by our team and our collaboration partner, BioLineRx. GLIX1 has a compelling preclinical profile and a truly differentiated mechanism of action, and we look forward to bringing this innovative therapy to patients who urgently need new treatment options. We are proud to be advancing this program alongside world-leading glioblastoma investigators and anticipate initial data readout in the first half of 2027," said Zeno Albisser, Chief Executive Officer of Hemispherian AS.

"GLIX1 is built on a fundamentally new understanding of how to exploit DNA repair vulnerabilities in cancer. The strength and consistency of the preclinical data give us confidence as we now transition this mechanism into the clinic," remarks Adam Robertson, Chief Scientific Officer at Hemispherian.

Dr. Alexandra Miller, Chief of Neuro-Oncology and Co-Director of the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at the Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, stated:

"I am pleased to be the first investigator able to enroll patients into this critical study, which brings new hope to patients who are in desperate need of innovative and novel treatment options."

Dr. Roger Stupp, Medical Director of the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at Northwestern University in Chicago and lead investigator of the study, added:

"GLIX1 is a promising innovative molecule with impressive pre-clinical data, and I could not be more excited to participate in this study. The protocol will rigorously assess the safety of an agent with an entirely novel mechanism of action, with the potential to ultimately integrate well and synergize with the current treatments. We urgently need breakthrough innovations for our patients suffering from glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult malignancies to treat."

Clinical Trial Design (NCT07464925)

The Phase 1 portion of the study will enroll up to 30 patients with recurrent and progressive GBM and other high-grade gliomas. The primary objective is to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or a recommended dose based on safety, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), and preliminary efficacy. Data from Phase 1 are anticipated in the first half of 2027.

The Phase 2a expansion is expected to include multiple patient cohorts, including newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM, as well as additional tumor types. Combination approaches, including with PARP inhibitors, will also be evaluated. These cohorts are designed to generate early efficacy signals, inform dose optimization, and support subsequent clinical development.

(Press release, Hemispherian, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664254])

On April 8, 2026 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) reported that new and updated data from several studies of compounds discovered by HUTCHMED will be presented at the upcoming American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place on April 17-22, 2026 in San Diego, California.

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Preclinical data for HMPL-A580, a first-in-class PI3K/PIKK-EGFR Antibody-Targeted Therapy Conjugate ("ATTC") will be presented. The payload of HMPL-A580 potently inhibited PI3K and PIKK family kinases, with IC50 ranging around 1 to 10 nM. Eurofins profiling across 418 kinases revealed the payload has excellent selectivity. By conjugating this potent payload with an anti-EGFR antibody via a cleavable linker, the ATTC compound HMPL-A580 demonstrated robust anti-tumor effect. Upon binding to EGFR-expression cancer cell line, HMPL-A580 underwent rapid internalization, lysosomal trafficking, payload release, and PAM and PIKK signaling inhibition to induce tumor cell apoptosis. In a 38-human solid tumor cell line panel, HMPL-A580 potently inhibited EGFR-expression tumor cell proliferation. The tumor cells harboring EGFR high expression, EGFR mut or PAM alterations were more sensitive to HMPL-A580. HMPL-A580 showed a strong bystander effect when EGFR-negative cells co-cultured with EGFR-expression cells. In human tumor xenograft models in mice, HMPL-A580, administered intravenously at 1~10 mg/kg once weekly for two weeks, demonstrated a dose / exposure-dependent anti-tumor activity in multiple EGFR-expression models, which is associated with much stronger target inhibition and suppression of downstream functions than antibody and payload alone treatment. The preliminary results demonstrated that HMPL-A580 was stable in human, monkey, rat and mouse plasma, and showed favorable PK property in cynomolgus monkeys.

Updated results from a multicenter, single-arm Phase Ib/II trial of surufatinib plus sintilimab and capecitabine in previously treated metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma and appendiceal carcinoma, as well as results from a exploratory Phase II study of surufatinib combined with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel ("AG") for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients following AG induction therapy will also be presented.

Details of the presentations are as follows:

Abstract title Presenter / Lead author Presentation details
SPONSORED STUDIES
Discovery of HMPL-A580, a first-in-class antibody-targeted therapy conjugate (ATTC) of a novel PI3K/PIKK inhibitor payload linked to an anti-EGFR antibody Yu Cai, HUTCHMED, Shanghai, China 4549
Poster Session (PO.ET01.03)
Tuesday, April 21, 2026

INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED STUDIES
Updated multicenter phase Ib/II analysis of surufatinib plus sintilimab and capecitabine in previously treated metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma and appendiceal carcinoma Xiaoyu Xie, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China CT160
Poster Session (PO.CT01.05)
Monday, April 20, 2026
Sequential treatment with surufatinib combined with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (AG) or AG alone as first-line therapy for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) after 6 weeks of AG induction therapy: A two-cohort, exploratory phase II study Jin Xu, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China CT146
Poster Session (PO.CT01.05)
Monday, April 20, 2026

About the ATTC Platform and HMPL-A580

HUTCHMED’s ATTC platform represents a next-generation approach to precision oncology, combining monoclonal antibodies with proprietary small-molecule inhibitor payloads to deliver dual mechanisms of action. Unlike traditional cytotoxin-based Antibody Drug Conjugates, ATTCs combine targeted therapies to achieve synergistic anti-tumor activity and durable responses in preclinical models, outperforming standalone antibody or small-molecule inhibitor components in efficacy and safety.

The first family of ATTCs are based on a novel payload that targets the PI3K/AKT/mTOR ("PAM") pathway, a critical intracellular network involved in cell growth, survival, and division. Alterations in the PAM pathway are frequently associated with poor prognosis and resistance to treatment across various cancers. However, existing PAM-targeted drugs face significant challenges, including on-target toxicities that restrict dosing, feedback loops that enable pathway reactivation, and insufficient tumor-specific delivery. Preclinical data from the first ATTC candidate based on this potent novel PI3K/PIKK inhibitor payload, HMPL-A251, was presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC in October 2025.

HMPL-A580 is the second ATTC candidate based on this novel payload. It is a first-in-class ATTC comprising a highly selective and potent PI3K/PIKK small-molecule inhibitor payload linked to an anti-EGFR antibody via a cleavable linker. EGFR is highly expressed in multiple types of solid tumors and is well recognized as a driving force in tumorigenesis and disease progression. By conjugating this highly novel PI3K/PIKK payload to an anti-EGFR antibody, HMPL-A580 is designed to deliver targeted pathway inhibition directly into EGFR-expressing tumor cells, thereby potentially overcoming the systemic toxicity and narrow therapeutic index historically associated with PI3K/PIKK inhibitors. This approach aims to achieve deeper and more durable target inhibition while improving the overall tolerability profile.

HUTCHMED has demonstrated how its partnerships leverage the expertise of multinational pharmaceutical companies to accelerate bringing novel medicines to address large unmet needs around the world, and plans to apply this strategy to its ATTC technology this year.

About Surufatinib

Surufatinib is a novel, oral angio-immuno kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity associated with VEGFRs and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), which both inhibit angiogenesis, and colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R), which regulates tumor-associated macrophages, promoting the body’s immune response against tumor cells. Surufatinib is marketed in China by HUTCHMED under the brand name SULANDA. HUTCHMED currently retains all rights to surufatinib worldwide.

(Press release, Hutchison China MediTech, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664255])

On April 8, 2026 MacroGenics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGNX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported that the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed the partial clinical hold on the Company’s Phase 2 LINNET study of lorigerlimab, an investigational, bispecific DART molecule that targets PD-1 and CTLA-4. During the partial clinical hold, previously enrolled study participants were allowed to continue to receive study drug. Going forward, new participants will be enrolled under a revised protocol that includes additional risk-mitigation measures for potential hematologic and cardiac toxicities.

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"We are grateful for the productive interaction with the reviewers at the FDA’s Office of Oncologic Diseases, as well as the diligent efforts of the MacroGenics team to provide a rapid and comprehensive response to the FDA," said Eric Risser, President and Chief Executive Officer of MacroGenics. "With the partial clinical hold lifted, we intend to resume enrollment of new study participants in the ongoing LINNET study and we remain on track to provide a mid-year clinical update on the program."

About the LINNET Study

The LINNET study is evaluating single-agent lorigerlimab, a bispecific DART molecule that targets PD-1 and CTLA-4, in up to approximately 60 eligible study participants. These study participants comprise patients with either platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) or clear cell gynecologic cancer (CCGC) who have received one or more prior lines of therapy. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR), with multiple secondary endpoints. To date, 41 study participants have been dosed in the LINNET study and over 300 study participants have been dosed across all previous lorigerlimab Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies.

(Press release, MacroGenics, APR 8, 2026, View Source [SID1234664239])