Jacobio announced it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with Merck on a clinical study of combination therapy between Jacobio’s KRAS G12C inhibitor JAB-21822 and Merck’s epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor Erbitux (cetuximab).
This clinical study aims to evaluate the efficacy of JAB-21822 in combination with cetuximab in patients with KRAS G12C-mutated colorectal cancer. Jacobio is the sponsor of the combination study, and Merck will provide cetuximab for clinical trials in China and Europe under the collaboration agreement.
“Our preclinical studies have shown that the combination of JAB-21822 and cetuximab can enhance the anti-tumor activity of JAB-21822 inhibitors in colorectal cancer tumor models, regressing tumors and delaying tumor regrowth after drug discontinuation. We look forward to new treatment options for patients through our collaboration with Merck,” said Wang Yinxiang, chairman and chief executive officer of Jacobio.
About JAB-21822
JAB-21822 is a KRAS G12C inhibitor independently developed by Jacobio. Jacobio has initiated phase I/II clinical trials in China, the U.S. and Europe for patients with advanced solid tumors, including monotherapy for STK11 co-mutated non-small cell lung cancer first-line treatment; combination therapy with SHP2 inhibitor, PD-1 monoclonal antibody and cetuximab.
About Erbitux (cetuximab)
Erbitux is an IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).
As a monoclonal antibody, its mode of action is distinct from standard non-selective chemotherapy treatments in that it specifically targets and binds to the EGFR. This binding inhibits the activation of the receptor and the subsequent signal-transduction pathway, which results in reducing both the invasion of normal tissues by tumor cells and the spread of tumors to new sites.
It is also believed to inhibit the ability of tumor cells to repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels inside tumors, which appears to lead to an overall suppression of tumor growth. Based on in vitro evidence, Erbitux also targets cytotoxic immune effector cells towards EGFR-expressing tumor cells (antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity [ADCC]).
Erbitux has obtained market authorization in more than 100 countries for the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer and for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
Merck licensed the right to market Erbitux, a registered trademark of ImClone LLC, outside the U.S. and Canada from ImClone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, in 1998.