Abstract 6334: VBI-002, a CD47xICAM-1 bispecific antibody for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, melanoma and non-small cell lung cancers

Abstract

Abstract Intercellular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1, CD54) is a type I transmembrane protein and a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. ICAM-1 is involved in many key processes such as cell-cell interactions, signal transduction and leukocytes trans-endothelial migration. ICAM-1 is constitutively present at low levels on healthy tissues but highly expressed in some hematological cancers and solid tumors, making it an attractive tumor target. VBI-002 is a novel human IgG1 based CD47xICAM-1 bispecific antibody with excellent safety profile and potent single agent activities in xenograft models of lymphoma, multiple myeloma and some solid tumors (Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3430). The bispecific design allows VBI-002 to selectively block CD47/SIRPα binding in tumor cells with high ICAM-1 expression. In contrast to the benchmark CD47 monoclonal antibody, VBI-002 exhibits minimal red blood cell binding and does not cause hemagglutination. In non-human primate (NHP) safety study, four weekly doses of 60 mg/kg VBI-002 were well-tolerated with only mild and reversible reduction in hemoglobin and platelets. Here we further investigate the anti-tumor activities of VBI-002 in solid tumors. Gene expression analysis suggested that ICAM-1 is highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), melanoma and a subset of hepatocellular carcinoma. Flow cytometry studies confirmed the frequent co-expression of ICAM-1 and CD47 in these tumors. VBI-002 has potent ICAM-1 dependent SIRPα blocking, antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activities against cell lines of NSCLC, hepatocellular carcinoma, and melanoma. Furthermore, in vivo efficacy studies demonstrated that VBI-002 has potent single agent activities in cell line derived xenograft (CDX) models of NSCLC, hepatocellular carcinoma, and melanoma. Weekly dose of 20 mg/kg VBI-002 is sufficient to stop tumor growth or drive tumor regression in most models. Notably, VBI-002 is highly effective against NSCLC CDX models carrying Kras mutation and it synergizes with paclitaxel to provide additional anti-tumor activity. In conclusion, VBI-002 is a versatile novel CD47xICAM-1 bispecific antibody with potent single agent activity in various solid tumors and combined well with standard of care chemotherapies for added activity. Thus, VBI-002 warrants clinical evaluations as a single agent and in combination with standard of care chemotherapies. Citation Format: Oi Kwan Wong, Xinhua Wang, Leonard Post, Xiaocheng Chen. VBI-002, a CD47xICAM-1 bispecific antibody for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, melanoma and non-small cell lung cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6334.