- Data suggest potential for superior tumor selectivity, potent efficacy, and improved safety profile
- Abpro and Celltrion have a strategic partnership for worldwide development and commercialization of ABP-102/CT-P72
- HER2-positive cancers represent up to 30 percent of all cases of breast, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal and other forms of cancer
WOBURN, MA, USA I April 27, 2025 I Abpro Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ABP) (“Abpro”), a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing next-generation antibody therapies for severe and life-threatening diseases, and Celltrion, a leading biopharmaceutical company, today unveiled preclinical data for ABP-102/CT-P72 in an oral presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research® (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, in the New Drugs on the Horizon session.
ABP-102/CT-P72, a tetravalent bispecific HER2 x CD3 T-cell engager co-developed with Celltrion, is engineered to selectively target HER2-overexpressing tumors while reducing the risk of on-target, off-tumor toxicity in normal tissues. Preclinical findings presented at AACR suggest the potential of ABP-102/CT-P72 to surpass existing HER2-targeted therapies in both efficacy and safety.
“These compelling preclinical data position ABP-102/CT-P72 as a potential best-in-class HER2-targeting bispecific T-cell engager,” said Robert J. Markelewicz, Jr., MD, MMSc, Chief Medical Officer of Abpro. “The demonstrated ability to drive tumor-selective cytotoxicity while mitigating toxicity challenges seen with prior HER2 T-cell engagers marks a significant advancement in the field. We are excited to work with Celltrion to move ABP-102/CT-P72 into clinical development and bring this promising therapy to patients with HER2-driven cancers.”
Soo Young Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the New Drug Division at Celltrion Inc., added, “ABP-102/CT-P72 represents a breakthrough in the bispecific antibody space, addressing the long-standing toxicity barriers that have hindered the development of HER2-targeted T-cell engagers. The strong preclinical efficacy and safety data support its potential to redefine treatment options for patients with HER2-positive cancers.”
Key Findings:
- Highly Selective Tumor Killing: ABP-102/CT-P72 achieves potent cytotoxicity in HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric cancer models while significantly reducing activity against HER2-low cells, addressing a key limitation of prior HER2-targeted T-cell engagers.
- Enhanced Tumor Growth Inhibition: In vivo studies showed ABP-102/CT-P72 had up to a two-fold increase in tumor suppression compared to a biosimilar of runimotamab, a benchmark HER2 x CD3 bispecific antibody.
- Reduced Cytokine Release: Engineered for functionally monovalent CD3 binding, ABP-102/CT-P72 minimizes cytokine-related toxicities, as demonstrated by reduced cytokine release in HER2-low cell models while maintaining potent cytotoxicity in HER2-high models.
- Improved Tolerability: Dose escalation studies in cynomolgus monkeys confirmed that ABP-102/CT-P72 was well tolerated, even at doses exceeding 180 times the maximum tolerated dose observed with the parental antibody, suggesting a broader therapeutic window.
The combination of HER2-selective T-cell activation, reduced cytokine release in HER2-low environments, and high tolerability in non-human primates underscores how ABP-102/CT-P72’s functionally monovalent CD3 binding strategy successfully mitigates on-target off-tumor toxicity. These attributes position ABP-102/CT-P72 as a potentially safer alternative to previous HER2-targeting T-cell engagers, paving the way for a broader therapeutic window in clinical trials, which are planned to start in the first half of 2026.
About ABP-102/CT-P72
ABP-102/CT-P72 an investigational HER2 x CD3 bispecific T-cell engager designed to selectively target HER2-overexpressing tumor cells while reducing activity in HER2-low expressing normal tissues. Its tetravalent IgG1-[L]-scFv format enables bivalent HER2 binding with functionally monovalent CD3 engagement and is designed to optimize tumor selectivity and reduce cytokine-related toxicity. Abpro has an exclusive collaboration with Celltrion, a leading South Korean biotechnology company ranked among the world’s top 25 by market capitalization, to advance ABP-102/CT-P72 in development for the treatment of HER2+ breast, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, and other cancers.
About Abpro
Abpro’s mission is to improve the lives of mankind facing severe and life-threatening diseases with next-generation antibody therapies. Abpro is advancing a pipeline of next-generation antibody therapies, for HER2+cancers, non-HER2+ gastric and liver cancer, and wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. These antibodies are developed using Abpro’s proprietary DiversImmune® platform. Abpro is located in Woburn, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.abpro.co.
SOURCE: AbPro
Post Views: 1,156
- Data suggest potential for superior tumor selectivity, potent efficacy, and improved safety profile
- Abpro and Celltrion have a strategic partnership for worldwide development and commercialization of ABP-102/CT-P72
- HER2-positive cancers represent up to 30 percent of all cases of breast, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal and other forms of cancer
WOBURN, MA, USA I April 27, 2025 I Abpro Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ABP) (“Abpro”), a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing next-generation antibody therapies for severe and life-threatening diseases, and Celltrion, a leading biopharmaceutical company, today unveiled preclinical data for ABP-102/CT-P72 in an oral presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research® (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, in the New Drugs on the Horizon session.
ABP-102/CT-P72, a tetravalent bispecific HER2 x CD3 T-cell engager co-developed with Celltrion, is engineered to selectively target HER2-overexpressing tumors while reducing the risk of on-target, off-tumor toxicity in normal tissues. Preclinical findings presented at AACR suggest the potential of ABP-102/CT-P72 to surpass existing HER2-targeted therapies in both efficacy and safety.
“These compelling preclinical data position ABP-102/CT-P72 as a potential best-in-class HER2-targeting bispecific T-cell engager,” said Robert J. Markelewicz, Jr., MD, MMSc, Chief Medical Officer of Abpro. “The demonstrated ability to drive tumor-selective cytotoxicity while mitigating toxicity challenges seen with prior HER2 T-cell engagers marks a significant advancement in the field. We are excited to work with Celltrion to move ABP-102/CT-P72 into clinical development and bring this promising therapy to patients with HER2-driven cancers.”
Soo Young Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the New Drug Division at Celltrion Inc., added, “ABP-102/CT-P72 represents a breakthrough in the bispecific antibody space, addressing the long-standing toxicity barriers that have hindered the development of HER2-targeted T-cell engagers. The strong preclinical efficacy and safety data support its potential to redefine treatment options for patients with HER2-positive cancers.”
Key Findings:
- Highly Selective Tumor Killing: ABP-102/CT-P72 achieves potent cytotoxicity in HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric cancer models while significantly reducing activity against HER2-low cells, addressing a key limitation of prior HER2-targeted T-cell engagers.
- Enhanced Tumor Growth Inhibition: In vivo studies showed ABP-102/CT-P72 had up to a two-fold increase in tumor suppression compared to a biosimilar of runimotamab, a benchmark HER2 x CD3 bispecific antibody.
- Reduced Cytokine Release: Engineered for functionally monovalent CD3 binding, ABP-102/CT-P72 minimizes cytokine-related toxicities, as demonstrated by reduced cytokine release in HER2-low cell models while maintaining potent cytotoxicity in HER2-high models.
- Improved Tolerability: Dose escalation studies in cynomolgus monkeys confirmed that ABP-102/CT-P72 was well tolerated, even at doses exceeding 180 times the maximum tolerated dose observed with the parental antibody, suggesting a broader therapeutic window.
The combination of HER2-selective T-cell activation, reduced cytokine release in HER2-low environments, and high tolerability in non-human primates underscores how ABP-102/CT-P72’s functionally monovalent CD3 binding strategy successfully mitigates on-target off-tumor toxicity. These attributes position ABP-102/CT-P72 as a potentially safer alternative to previous HER2-targeting T-cell engagers, paving the way for a broader therapeutic window in clinical trials, which are planned to start in the first half of 2026.
About ABP-102/CT-P72
ABP-102/CT-P72 an investigational HER2 x CD3 bispecific T-cell engager designed to selectively target HER2-overexpressing tumor cells while reducing activity in HER2-low expressing normal tissues. Its tetravalent IgG1-[L]-scFv format enables bivalent HER2 binding with functionally monovalent CD3 engagement and is designed to optimize tumor selectivity and reduce cytokine-related toxicity. Abpro has an exclusive collaboration with Celltrion, a leading South Korean biotechnology company ranked among the world’s top 25 by market capitalization, to advance ABP-102/CT-P72 in development for the treatment of HER2+ breast, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, and other cancers.
About Abpro
Abpro’s mission is to improve the lives of mankind facing severe and life-threatening diseases with next-generation antibody therapies. Abpro is advancing a pipeline of next-generation antibody therapies, for HER2+cancers, non-HER2+ gastric and liver cancer, and wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. These antibodies are developed using Abpro’s proprietary DiversImmune® platform. Abpro is located in Woburn, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.abpro.co.
SOURCE: AbPro
Post Views: 1,156
