Experimental Drug Development Centre Announces the Presentation of Updated Data from the Phase 1 Study of Antibody-Drug Conjugate EBC-129 at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
The expansion cohort for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in the ongoing Phase 1 trial has completed enrolment. Notably, 82% of patients had tumours expressing the antigen at levels considered treatable with EBC-129.
EBC-129 demonstrated positive overall response rates and prolonged progression-free survival in PDAC patients that have been heavily pre-treated, including those that have received prior treatment with standard of care (SoC) typically containing taxanes.
The US FDA also recently granted Fast Track Designation for EBC-129 in the treatment of PDAC patients.
SINGAPORE, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ -- The Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Singapore's national platform for drug discovery and development, has announced the presentation of updated clinical data for the ongoing Phase 1 trial for EBC-129 at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
EBC-129 is a first-in-class antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting a novel, tumour-specific N256-glycosylated epitope on CEACAM5 and CEACAM6. The updated findings showed promising efficacy data from 21 heavily pre-treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients across the dose escalation and the dose expansion portions of the Phase 1 study. Patients received EBC-129 at doses between 1.8 and 2.2 mg/kg, given once every 3 weeks. 17 out of 21 patients (81%) of the patients had received prior treatment with taxanes. 82% of patients had tumours which expressed the EBC-129 antigen at ≥1% at 3+ intensity and were therefore considered treatable. The overall response rates (ORRs) were 25% and 20%, with disease control rates (DCRs) of 87.5% and 63.6% and progression-free survival (PFS) of 19 and 12 weeks for 1.8 mg/kg and 2.2 mg/kg, respectively.
"Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, particularly in the metastatic setting where resistance to standard therapies is common. The clinical signals observed with EBC-129 in refractory pancreatic adenocarcinoma, including tolerability, prolonged disease control and a confirmed response in a heavily pre-treated patient, are encouraging and clinically meaningful. Continued prioritisation of biology-guided trials targeting EBC-129 will be key to sustaining momentum in this important therapeutic effort," said Assistant Professor Robert W. Lentz, MD, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.
This presentation follows the recent Fast Track Designation granted by the U.S. FDA for EBC-129 in the treatment of PDAC patients. This designation supports EDDC's efforts to accelerate the advancement of the programme through increased regulatory engagement and the potential for expedited review pathways.
Other Results to Date
The dose escalation study of the Phase 1 trial was open to all patients, while the ongoing dose expansion study comprises of three cohorts in PDAC, gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) and tumour-agnostic patients with other immunohistochemistry (IHC)-positive solid tumours. Recruitment for the GEA and IHC-positive cohorts is still ongoing.
EBC-129 showed a manageable safety profile in the 58 patients treated so far, with uncomplicated neutropenia and infusion-related reactions as the main treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) observed.
The EBC-129 antigen was also found to be highly expressed, with 52% to 100% of tumour tissues assessed during the trial showing moderate to high expression levels of ≥20% at 2+ and/or 3+. This included samples from gastroesophageal, appendiceal, colorectal and lung cancer patients, making EBC-129 a potentially viable treatment option for these cancers.
"We have seen encouraging signs of efficacy of EBC-129 as a single-agent therapy, even in heavily pre-treated patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This, combined with the observed safety profile, underscores the promise of EBC-129 as a possible treatment option for PDAC patients. As a first-in-class ADC that targets both CEACAM5 and CEACAM6, EBC-129 has also shown potential against a range of other solid tumours, and we look forward to expanding clinical evaluations with the ongoing dose expansion cohorts and accelerating the development of EBC-129 to address critical unmet needs in cancer," said Professor Damian O'Connell, CEO of EDDC.
About EBC-129
EBC-129 is an ADC that targets a tumour-specific N256-glycosylation site conserved on CEACAM5 and CEACAM6. CEACAM5 and CEACAM6 are known to have functional importance in tumour formation, migration and metastasis. In the ongoing trial, the tumour-specific marker is found to be widely expressed in multiple solid tumour types, including gastric, oesophageal, pancreatic, lung, colorectal, and appendiceal cancers, based on an analytically validated immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. The payload used in EBC-129 is monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), which has been extensively tested and approved for clinical use in other marketed ADCs, and has demonstrated synergy with PD-1 inhibitors. The ongoing Phase 1 trial of EBC-129 is assessing the safety and tolerability of EBC-129 as a single agent and in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumours. Enrolment for the PDAC cohort in the Phase 1 dose expansion study is now complete, while recruitment continues for the gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) and IHC-positive cohorts.
About the Experimental Drug Development Centre
The Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) is Singapore's national platform for drug discovery and development, formed from the integration of the Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC), Drug Discovery and Development (D3), and Experimental Biotherapeutics Centre (EBC) in 2019. EDDC aims to develop therapeutics and diagnostics that save and improve the lives of patients in Singapore, Asia and around the world. Hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), EDDC works collaboratively with public sector and industry partners to translate the great science arising from Singapore's biomedical and clinical sciences R&D into innovative healthcare solutions. For more information about EDDC, please visit www.eddc.sg.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cision Canada
17 hours ago
- Cision Canada
WSIB and OCEU reach tentative agreement to end labour disruption Français
TORONTO, July 5, 2025 /CNW/ - The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is pleased to announce a tentative agreement has been reached with the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU). The organization looks forward to welcoming back its full team within 24 hours of a successful ratification vote. "Our number one priority has always been—and continues to be—helping the people who depend on us," said Jeff Lang, President and CEO of the WSIB. "We do work that makes a difference in people's lives and in our communities. I am proud of our team's work the last few weeks and am very excited for everyone to come back together so we can keep supporting Ontarians who need us." As normal service resumes, people can continue to log in to the WSIB's website anytime, 24/7 to: Report an injury or illness Submit documents for an existing claim See claim, payment, and health benefit information in real time Register a new business Access clearances "We thank Ontarians for the patience they've shown us during the labour disruption," said Lang. "Our team is committed to delivering better, easier, and faster service to Ontarians and we can't wait to get back to doing what we do best – helping people." The WSIB provides workplace injury and illness insurance to more than 5.3 million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. When an injury or illness happens on the job, the WSIB provides wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people get back to work. Funded by Ontario businesses, the WSIB also provides no-fault collective liability insurance and access to industry-specific health and safety information.
Cision Canada
19 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Sheraton Vancouver Guildford workers prepare to strike
SURREY, BC, July 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Unifor Local 3000 members at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel are preparing for strike action later today. "The employer has left us with no other choice," said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. "Our members are the heart of the hotel, and after more than a year without a fair agreement, they are prepared to strike to demand respect and fair wages." Unifor Local 3000 members voted to reject a tentative agreement with the company. The union will be in a legal strike position as of 12:45 p.m. Pacific on July 5, 2025. The bargaining unit includes 120 full-time and 24 part-time workers, who have been without a contract since April 2024. The Sheraton Vancouver Guildford is owned and operated by Pacific Reach Properties, a Vancouver-based investment firm with diverse holdings across real estate, hospitality, healthcare, and tech sectors. The company has sub-contracted human resources and collective bargaining responsibilities to Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR), a Vancouver-based multi-employer group that negotiates on behalf of various hotel and tourism operators in British Columbia. "Wages at the Sheraton have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living in the Lower Mainland," said Adrian Burnett, President of Unifor Local 3000. "Our members are struggling to make ends meet while working for a hotel owned by a company with deep pockets. It's unacceptable." Unifor members voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action if necessary, sending a strong message to the employer that a fair deal must be secured. The union remains committed to negotiating an agreement at the table but is prepared to take strike action should an agreement not be reached. Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
Cision Canada
a day ago
- Cision Canada
Lotto Max - A $65 million jackpot and an estimated 8 Maxmillions in the next draw Français
MONTRÉAL, July 5, 2025 /CNW/ - In the next Lotto Max draw, slated for Tuesday, July 8, the prize pool will be $73 million and include a $65 million jackpot and an estimated 8 Maxmillions. "A Lotto Max jackpot was just won in June. We're hoping that Lady Luck strikes again in Québec in Tuesday's draw, when the jackpot is $65 million," says Isabelle Jean, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Lottery Games at Loto-Québec. Lotto Max continues to churn out winners in Québec Lotto Max players in Québec have won over $3.925 billion since its launch in 2009. In total, there have been 46 jackpot wins in the province, including 3 of $70,000,000—the largest jackpots ever won in Québec—in the February 25 and October 9, 2020, and June 7, 2022, draws. One $65,000,000 jackpot, four $60,000,000 jackpots, five $55,000,000 jackpots, and nine $50,000,000 jackpots have also been won in Quebec. In addition to these jackpot wins, Lotto Max players in Québec have also won a total of 247 Maxmillions prizes, each worth $1 million, and 151 shares of Maxmillions prizes. Draw results are available online at About Loto-Québec Loto-Québec has been delivering entertainment to Quebecers for over 50 years, and its operations benefit Québec as a whole. Last year, the corporation paid out almost $1.8 billion in prizes to winners across Québec. Major prize winners are listed on the Winners page in the Lotteries section of Read their stories. The responsible commercialization of lottery and gaming products is central to Loto-Québec's operations. The corporation has been granted the highest internationally recognized certification in responsible gaming by the World Lottery Association.
