On April 21, 2026 Zymeworks Inc. (Nasdaq: ZYME), a biotechnology company managing a portfolio of licensed healthcare assets while developing a diverse pipeline of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics, reported results from the dose-escalation part of the Phase 1 study for ZW191, a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.
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The data from Part 1 of the ongoing global Phase 1 study (ZWI-ZW191-101), highlight a compelling combination of anti-tumor activity and manageable safety in patients with advanced, heavily pretreated solid tumors, including ovarian and endometrial cancers.
"We are highly encouraged by the initial clinical data for ZW191, which reinforce the strength of our ADC platform and its ability to generate differentiated therapeutics," said Sabeen Mekan, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Zymeworks. "The breadth and durability of responses, along with activity across varying levels of FRα expression, support further development of ZW191 as a potential best-in-class agent for patients with ovarian and endometrial cancers."
Part 2a, the dose-optimization portion of the study evaluating patients with ovarian cancer at doses of 6.4 mg/kg and 9.6 mg/kg, has completed enrollment, with participants recruited globally across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The data from Part 2a will determine the recommended dose for any future registration studies.
Key Findings
In platinum resistant ovarian cancer patients, ZW191 demonstrated a cORR of 56% across all dose levels, with tumor regression observed in 68% of patients and disease control achieved in 94%. Notably, ZW191 demonstrated compelling anti-tumor activity in the 6.4-9.6 mg/kg dose range regardless of FRα expression, with a cORR of 61% observed in ovarian and 57% in endometrial cancers, with disease control observed in 100% of patients. These findings highlight the potential for ZW191 to benefit a broad patient population, including those with low or heterogeneous target expression.
In endometrial cancer, ZW191 showed a cORR of 40% across all dose levels and 57% in the 6.4-9.6 mg/kg cohort, with disease control rates of 80% and 86%, respectively. Responses were observed regardless of FRα expression levels, suggesting potential activity across a broad patient population.
Across ovarian and endometrial cancer cohorts, responses were observed early, with a median time to response of 1.4 months. Median duration of response was not reached at the time of data cutoff, and median progression-free survival was 7.6 months.
ZW191 was well tolerated and safely administered up to 11.2 mg/kg. Severe (grade ≥3) treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 55% of patients treated with ZW191, most of which were grade 3. The most common grade ≥3 events were neutropenia (24%), anemia (20%), and thrombocytopenia (12%). Grade 4 events were infrequent, and one grade 5 event was reported at the highest dose level and was not treatment-related. Serious TEAEs occurred in 35% of patients, and 20% discontinued due to adverse events. Overall, the safety profile was manageable with no unexpected signals.
"These data demonstrate the potential of ZW191 to deliver meaningful clinical benefit in patients with heavily pre-treated gynecological tumors with limited options," said Patricia LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR and lead author. "The combination of encouraging response rates and manageable safety profile supports further development of this therapy, particularly in ovarian and endometrial cancers where new treatment options are urgently needed."
ZW191’s differentiated profile, including a high drug-to-antibody ratio and novel payload, support its potential to address key limitations of current therapies and expand the reach of FRα-targeted treatment approaches across multiple tumor types.
About ZW191
ZW191 is an antibody-drug conjugate engineered to target a protein called folate receptor-⍺ found in ~75% of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas,1 over 50% of endometrial cancers,2,3 and ~70% of lung adenocarcinomas4. ZW191’s differentiated design strongly supports its ability to internalize into FR⍺-expressing cells with the potential to release bystander active topoisomerase-1 inhibitor (ZD06519), a novel proprietary payload developed by Zymeworks to kill tumor cells.
(Press release, Zymeworks, APR 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234664672])