Antibody injections shrink—and cure—some tumors
A small clinical trial reported that 6 of 12 patients experienced tumor shrinkage and 2 achieved cures after antibody injections, suggesting a meaningful signal in early data. The result is preliminary but notable for antibody-based oncology approaches. (x.com)
The antibody used is designated 2141‑V11, an Fc‑engineered anti‑CD40 agonist developed in Jeffrey V. Ravetch’s laboratory at Rockefeller University. Investigators delivered 2141‑V11 by intratumoral injection rather than systemically to concentrate activity in the tumor microenvironment and reduce systemic inflammatory toxicity seen with earlier CD40 agonists. 00319-8/fulltext) The first‑in‑human, open‑label Phase 1 study is registered as NCT04059588 and was led by Juan C. Osorio in collaboration between Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University. Tumor types enrolled included breast cancer, melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, with seven breast‑cancer cases, three melanomas and two renal‑cell cases noted in the study cohort. Safety data reported no dose‑limiting toxicities; the most common treatment‑related adverse events were fever, rigors/chills and injection‑site reactions, and no grade‑4 or fatal toxicities were attributed to 2141‑V11. Immune correlates included induction of tertiary lymphoid structures and CD8+ T‑cell activation, and investigators documented regression in lesions that were not directly injected, consistent with a systemic antitumor immune response. 00319-8/fulltext) Preclinical work reported that Fc modifications enhanced cross‑linking via FcγRIIB and increased antitumor potency roughly tenfold in humanized mouse models, and the trial reports a median duration of response for complete responders of about 12 months.
