– Promising preclinical data suggest best-in-class potential for XB002, a next-generation tissue factor-targeting antibody-drug conjugate –

– Phase 1 clinical trial expected to begin in Q2 2021 –

ALAMEDA, CA, USA I April 05, 2021 IExelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXEL) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary antitumor activity of XB002 in patients with advanced solid tumors. As a next-generation tissue factor-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), XB002 has the potential for an improved therapeutic index and may provide a favorable safety profile compared with earlier-generation tissue factor-targeting ADCs.

“The acceptance of our Investigational New Drug Application for XB002 gets us one step closer to our first biologic entering the clinic and learning more about its potential to help patients with difficult-to-treat cancers,” said Gisela Schwab, M.D., President, Product Development and Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Exelixis. “Considering XB002’s promising preclinical data and potential differentiation from other tissue factor-targeting antibody-drug conjugates, we look forward to initiating our phase 1 trial in patients with advanced solid tumors.”

XB002 (formerly ICON-2) is an ADC composed of a human monoclonal antibody against tissue factor that is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. After binding to tissue factor on tumor cells, XB002 is internalized, and the cytotoxic agent is released, resulting in targeted tumor cell death. XB002 is a rationally designed next-generation ADC that leverages proprietary linker-payload technology.

Preclinical data demonstrated that XB002 binds to tissue factor without affecting the coagulation cascade, in contrast with prior therapies in this class. The data also demonstrated encouraging activity of XB002 in multiple solid tumor cancer models and improved tolerability compared with other tissue factor-targeting ADCs. XB002 has shown significant tumor growth inhibition and, in some cases, complete regression. The rational design and preclinical profile of this novel tissue factor-targeting ADC suggest that, if born out in clinical evaluation, XB002 could have an improved therapeutic index and favorable safety profile compared with earlier tissue factor-targeting ADCs.

About Exelixis
Founded in 1994, Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXEL) is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. Following early work in model system genetics, we established a broad drug discovery and development platform that has served as the foundation for our continued efforts to bring new cancer therapies to patients in need. Our discovery efforts have resulted in four commercially available products, CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib), COMETRIQ® (cabozantinib), COTELLIC® (cobimetinib) and MINNEBRO® (esaxerenone), and we have entered into partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to bring these important medicines to patients worldwide. Supported by revenues from our marketed products and collaborations, we are committed to prudently reinvesting in our business to maximize the potential of our pipeline. We are supplementing our existing therapeutic assets with targeted business development activities and internal drug discovery – all to deliver the next generation of Exelixis medicines and help patients recover stronger and live longer. Exelixis is a member of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) MidCap 400 index, which measures the performance of profitable mid-sized companies. In November 2020, the company was named to Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for the first time, ranking 17th overall and the third-highest biopharmaceutical company. For more information about Exelixis, please visit www.exelixis.com, follow @ExelixisInc on Twitter or like Exelixis, Inc.on Facebook.

SOURCE: Exelixis