SHANGHAI/SUZHOU, China, June 25, 2021. Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd., a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of next-generation cancer immunotherapies, today announced that the Center of Drug Evaluation (CDE) has approved the IND application for ES102, a next generation anti-OX40 antibody, in combination with toripalimab (TUOYI®) an anti-PD1 antibody,  in patients with advanced solid tumor.

In China, Elpiscience aimss to evaluate the safety, tolerability and explore early efficacy signal of ES102, the next-generation hexavalent anti-OX40 antibody, in combination with toripalimab for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. Now, ES102 mono dose escalation in advanced solid tumors is ongoing led by Professor Ying Cheng at Jilin Cancer Hospital.

In the US, single agent dose escalation for ES102 (INBRX-106) was completed. Besides, single agent dose expansion and dose escalation in combination with Keytruda are currently ongoing  .Signs of durable anti-cancer activity were observed and ES102 as a single agent was well tolerated in phase I clinical trial.

Dr. Steve Chin, CMO of Elpiscience, said: “We are happy to explore the anti-tumor potentials of ES102 in combination with toripalimab together with Junshi Biosciences. We hope the combination could provide more treatment options to patients who cannot benefit from current therapies.”

About ES102

ES102 is a hexavalent OX40 agonistic antibody with a unique “first-in-class” design. The special design of ES102 allows for efficient OX40 agonism even in the absence of exogenous cross-linking. ES102 induces much strong immune activation compared to tetrameric or conventional bivalent OX40 antibodies, it has demonstrated impressive single agent anti-tumor efficacy and great synergy with anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents in preclinical models.

About Elpiscience

Elpiscience is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on innovating and developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapy. Elpiscience has developed a pipeline of 15 globally innovative molecules, covering a wide range of targets with a particular focus on turning “cold” into “hot” tumors. The company currently has three assets in clinical trials (ES101, ES102 and ES104), three in IND-enabling stage (ES002, ES014 and ES004). Elpiscience’s sustainable pipeline forms a strong cornerstone for developing the next generation and more effective immunotherapies. Founded and managed by seasoned executives in the biopharma industry, Elpiscience is backed by close to 20 top investors such as Lilly Asia Ventures, Hillhouse Capital, Hyfinity Investments and Great Bay Area Development Fund.