Abstract 5303: A novel TIGIT and 4-1BB bispecific antibody, ABL112, exhibits potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity through dual immune modulation

Abstract

Abstract T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) is an immune checkpoint molecule responsible for delivering inhibitory signals that suppress immune activation. Due to its inhibitory role in the immune response, TIGIT has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for various malignancies, with several clinical trials exploring the use of anti-TIGIT blocking antibodies with anti-PD-(L)1 therapies. Recent reports have indicated elevated expression of 4-1BB within intra-tumoral Tregs. Therefore, we hypothesized that a dual targeting approach involving both TIGIT and 4-1BB could effectively enhance intra-tumoral immunity. ABL112, a First-in-Class bispecific antibody targeting TIGIT and 4-1BB, demonstrated the induction of T cell activation by blocking the TIGIT signaling and TIGIT dependent 4-1BB clustering. By having intact Fc, ABL112 bound to FcγRI and its crosslinking with 4-1BB also induced 4-1BB activation. ABL112 selectively depleted Treg cells but not other T cells in vitro, potentially through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. ABL112 demonstrated superior efficacy in tumor regression compared to anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody across various mouse tumor models. Additionally, combining ABL112 with pembrolizumab significantly inhibited tumor growth better than combining anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody with pembrolizumab. According to immune cell depletion assay, ABL112-mediated tumor suppressive activity was predominantly driven by CD8+ T cells, with a partial tumor reduction by CD4+ T cell or NK cell depletion. Mice with complete remission (CR) were further protected from the tumor re-challenge after 3 months of cessation of ABL112 treatment, and the proportion of tumor-specific memory T cells in the blood increased, suggesting long-term immunological memory has been established. In conclusion, ABL112 exhibited potent in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity through multiple mode of action including TIGIT inhibition and 4-1BB activation. These results strongly suggest that ABL112 is an innovative and promising therapeutic option with the combination of anti-PD-(L)1 therapies for cancer patients. Citation Format: Wonjun Son, Yangsoon Lee, Yelim Park, Jonghwa Won. A novel TIGIT and 4-1BB bispecific antibody, ABL112, exhibits potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity through dual immune modulation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5303.