Mabwell Announces the CDE Approval of Novel Nectin-4 Targeting ADC to Initiate Phase III Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer

SHANGHAI, Aug. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Mabwell (688062.SH), an innovative biopharmaceutical company with entire industry chain, announced that its submission to the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the “A Randomized, Open-label, Phase III Study to Evaluate 9MW2821 vs Investigator’s Choice of Chemotherapy in Subjects with Recurrent or Metastatic Cervical Cancer Who Progressed on or after Platinum-based Chemotherapy” has been approved. The company will initiate the Phase III clinical study to assess the efficacy and safety of 9MW2821 in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer (CC) that has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.

9MW2821, a novel Nectin-4 targeting ADC developed by Mabwell, is the first drug candidate to enter clinical study among the Nectin-4-targeting ADCs developed by Chinese companies. It’s also the first Nectin-4-targeting ADC to enter phase III clinical study for the treatment of CC worldwide. Multiple clinical studies have been conducted for urothelium carcinoma, cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, and breast cancer, and more than 400 subjects have been enrolled. The results of the existing clinical studies have demonstrated outstanding therapeutic efficacy and safety.

Treatment options and outcomes for patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer remain limited. In the cervical cancer expansion cohort of the phase I/II study, the detection rate of Nectin-4 expression was 91.87%, and the detection rate of Nectin-4 IHC 3+ was 73.98%. 53 CC patients received at least one dose of 9MW2821 and were evaluable for efficacy assessment. All of the patients had received doublet platinum-containing chemotherapy, 51% patients had received bevacizumab, and 58% patients had received immune checkpoint inhibitor. ORR and DCR in 53 CC patients were 35.8% and 81.1%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (mPFS) and duration of response (DOR) was 3.9 months and 7.2 months, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached yet and 12-months OS rate was 74.6%. Among patients with Nectin-4 IHC 3+, the ORR was 43.6%.

The results of the above studies indicate that 9MW2821 has a positive therapeutic effect in patients with cervical cancer. The company is in the process of scientifically evaluating and advancing the conduct of clinical studies on first-line combination therapies.

About Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the 4th most common neoplasm and the 4th leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide (excerpted from “Worldwide trends in cervical cancer incidence and mortality, with predictions for the next 15 years, Cancer 2021”). According to the “World Cancer Report 2020” released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there were 600 thousand new cases of cervical cancer worldwide in 2020 and up to 340 thousand deaths caused by cervical cancer. In February 2024, the National Cancer Center published the Cancer Burden Data in China in 2022 on Journal of the National Cancer Center (JNCC), showing that there were 150.7 thousand new cases of cervical cancer and 55.7 thousand deaths in China, ranking 8th and 9th respectively in terms of new cases and number of deaths. Compared with the 119 thousand new cases and 37 thousand deaths released in February 2022 for the same period in 2016, significant increases are observed.

About 9MW2821

9MW2821 is the first site-specific conjugated novel Nectin-4 targeting ADC developed by Mabwell using ADC platform, and is the first drug candidate to enter clinical study among the Nectin-4-targeting ADCs developed by Chinese companies, and also the first therapeutic drug candidate targeting Nectin-4 in the world to reveal clinical efficacy data of cervical cancer (CC), esophageal cancer (EC) and breast cancer. In 2024, 9MW2821 has been granted Fast Track Designation by FDA for the treatment of advanced, recurrent, or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), recurrent or metastatic CC progressed on or following prior treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen, and locally advanced or metastatic Nectin-4 positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); 9MW2821 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by FDA for the treatment of EC, and also Breakthrough Therapy Designation by CDE of NMPA.

9MW2821 achieves site-specific modification of antibody through proprietary conjugation technology linkers and optimized ADC conjugation process. After injection, 9MW2821 can specifically bind to Nectin-4 on the cell membrane surface, be internalized and release cytotoxic drug, and induce the apoptosis of tumor cells.

About Mabwell

Mabwell (688062.SH) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company with the entire value chain of the pharmaceutical industry. We provide more effective and accessible therapy and innovative medicines to fulfill global medical needs. Since 2017, an advanced R&D system which covers target discovery, early discovery, druggability, preclinical, clinical research and manufacturing transformation was established. Mabwell has 14 pipeline products in different stages based on a world-class and state-of-the-art R&D engine, including 10 novel drug candidates and 4 biosimilars. We focus on the therapeutic areas of oncology, auto-immune diseases, metabolic disorders, ophthalmologic diseases and infectious diseases, etc. Of these, 3 products have been approved and commercialized, 1 product has been filed for MA approval, 3 products are in pivotal trials. We have also undertaken 1 national major scientific and technological special project for “Significant New Drugs Development”, 2 projects for National Key R&D Programmes, and multiple provincial and municipal science and technological innovation projects. Mabwell’s Taizhou factory possesses robust in-house manufacturing capability compliant with international GMP standards regulated by the NMPA, FDA and EMA, and has passed the EU QP Audit. The large-scale manufacturing base in Shanghai and the ADC commercialized manufacturing base in Taizhou are under construction. Our mission is “Explore Life, Benefit Health” and our vision is “Innovation, from ideas to reality”. For more information, please visit www.mabwell.com/en.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the potential safety, efficacy, regulatory review or approval and commercial success of our product candidates and those relating to the Company’s product development, clinical studies, clinical and regulatory milestones and timelines, market opportunity, competitive position, possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, potential growth opportunities and other statements that are predictive in nature. “Forward-looking statements” are statements that are not historical facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would,” and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms.

Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, including, but not limited to: environment; politic; economy; society; legislation; our dependence on our product candidates, most of which are still in preclinical or various stages of clinical development; our reliance on third-party vendors, such as contract research organizations and contract manufacturing organizations; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; our ability to complete required clinical trials for our product candidates and obtain approval from regulatory authorities for our product candidates; our ability to protect our intellectual property; the potential impact of COVID-19; the loss of any executive officers or key personnel. In case one or more of these risks or uncertainties deteriorate, or any assumptions are incorrect, the actual results may be seriously inconsistent with the stated results.

The Company cautions all the persons not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the applicable Stock authority to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking descriptions, figures and assumptions in this press release are applicable to this statement.

SOURCE Mabwell


Go to Source