arGEN-X initiates Phase Ib study of ARGX-111 in cancer

• SIMPLE Antibody™ with unique mode of action addressing c-Met positive tumors

Breda, the Netherlands, and Ghent, Belgium– arGEN-X, a clinical stage human monoclonal antibody therapeutics company, announces today the CTA filing of a first-in-man Phase Ib cancer study with ARGX-111, its second proprietary SIMPLE Antibody™ product to enter the clinic this year.

ARGX-111 is a c-Met-targeting human monoclonal antibody that modulates all known mechanisms of action of the receptor. As well as best-in-class blocking of both ligand dependent and independent signalling through c-Met, ARGX-111 benefits from POTELLIGENT®-enhanced Antibody Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC), which drives the immune system to destroy c-Met positive tumor cells. Owing to this unique combination of therapeutic attributes, ARGX-111 has demonstrated superior therapeutic potential in both solid and hematological malignancies when compared to established biologic and small molecule-based c-Met therapies. ARGX-111 has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in non-human primate studies.

The Phase Ib study will enroll patients with tumors that have been pre-screened for over-expression of c-Met. Because of the known role of c-Met activation in promoting the metastatic potential of tumor cells, the study will also document the eradication of those patients’ circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which are known to be precursors of advancing disease.

ARGX-111 has all of the attributes to become the next-generation c-Met inhibitor of choice, given it combines best-in-class blockade of receptor function with enhanced ADCC. With such a compelling therapeutic profile, we are confident that ARGX-111 has the potential both to treat established tumors and to eradicate CTCs before they seed metastases, said Alain Thibault, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at arGEN-X. ARGX-111 is an excellent example of how our suite of antibody technologies enables us to generate exciting development candidates with multiple modes of action within a single therapeutic entity.

Ahmad Awada, M.D., Ph.D. of the Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium, and Principal Investigator of the study, commented further: The field of c-Met inhibition is one that offers significant promise in the fight against cancer. Therefore, we are very excited to be involved in the first ever clinical trial with ARGX-111, a potentially best-in-class molecule for the treatment of a broad range of solid and hematological cancers.