SINGAPORE and LONDON, March 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hummingbird Bioscience, a data-driven precision biotherapeutics company discovering and developing transformative biologic medicines for hard-to-treat diseases, and Cancer Research Horizons, the innovation arm of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), today announced that Hummingbird Bioscience has exercised its option to license in the first-in-human (FIH) clinical trial results of HMBD-001, a differentiated and potentially best-in-class HER3-targeting antibody.

The Phase 1/2a clinical trial in the United Kingdom is being sponsored and managed by CRUK's Centre for Drug Development and led by Chief Investigator, Professor Johann De Bono at the Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, London. The Phase 1a stage of the trial is currently enrolling multiple solid tumor cancer patients resistant to approved therapies, and is aimed at identifying a recommended Phase 2 dose for further evaluation.

"We decided to exercise the option at this time due to our enthusiasm for the promising data emerging from the ongoing Phase 1a study. We look forward to accelerating the opening of multiple Hummingbird-sponsored Phase 1b/2 studies. Our CRUK collaboration has been pivotal for the development of HMBD-001 and brings us one step closer to providing a precision therapy for patients with HER3-expressing cancers," said Piers Ingram, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Hummingbird Bioscience.

"Hummingbird Bio's decision to exercise a licensing option for HMBD-001, early in the clinical development process, speaks to the urgency needed to bring promising therapeutic advances to patients," explained Nigel Blackburn, Director of the Cancer Research UK's Centre for Drug Development. "We are pleased to have partnered with Hummingbird Bioscience to provide the clinical trial expertise and funding support needed to help navigate HMBD-001 through the high-risk, early-stages of therapeutic development."

Based on the FIH dose escalation data, Hummingbird Bioscience plans to initiate multiple studies in biomarker-selected populations during the second half of 2023. In parallel, CRUK will continue the ongoing Phase 1/2a study by completing the ongoing dose escalation portion, followed by a dose expansion study in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (in combination with anti-androgen therapy) later this year.

About Hummingbird Bioscience

Hummingbird Bioscience is a data-driven precision biotherapeutics company discovering and developing transformative biologic medicines for hard-to-treat diseases. The Hummingbird Bioscience model combines computational and systems biology with wet lab drug discovery in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative environment spanning initial discovery through clinical development. We harness this integrated approach across target identification and patient selection, enabling our team to increase the efficiency of translating novel scientific insights while reducing the inherent risk in drug discovery and development. We are currently developing two clinical-stage assets: HMBD-001, a humanized anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody targeting a novel epitope on HER3, and HMBD-002, a humanized anti-VISTA IgG4 monoclonal antibody. Both programs are currently in Phase 1 studies. At Hummingbird Bioscience, our commitment to rigorous science, teamwork and intellectual integrity underpins our passion to accelerate the journey of new drugs from concept to clinic.

For more information, please visit www.hummingbirdbioscience.com, and follow Hummingbird Bioscience on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

About HMBD-001

HMBD-001 is a clinical-stage IgG1 antibody designed to target HER3. Discovered using Hummingbird Bioscience's proprietary Rational Antibody Discovery (RAD) platform, HMBD-001 is now in development for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. We believe HMBD-001 is the only anti-HER3 antibody in development that has the potential to fully block both ligand-dependent and -independent HER3 activation and oncogenic signaling, by targeting a key epitope located at the interface where HER3 forms heterodimers with HER2 or EGFR. In preclinical models evaluating HMBD-001, the company has observed superior affinity and more potent tumor growth inhibition compared to existing anti-HER3 antibodies. Near-term development plans for HMBD-001 focus on a few priority, high-value indications with strong scientific rationale and supporting preclinical data, which includes HER3-driven cancers.

About Cancer Research Horizons (Cancer Research UK)

Cancer Research Horizons is the innovation arm of Cancer Research UK – one of the world's largest charitable funders of cancer research. We bring together world-leading minds, bold ideas and the right partners to bridge the gap between research and introducing new therapeutics into the market. We focus on the riskier, more profound ideas that can lead to true innovation.  

By uniting our commercial partnerships and therapeutic innovation capabilities, Cancer Research Horizons is uniquely placed to support translational funding, licensing and collaboration, spin out creation, and offer a full spectrum of drug discovery and clinical capabilities. With access to Cancer Research UK's network of 4000 exceptional researchers, and £300+ million of annual research spend, we're a powerful partner in the fight to conquer cancer.  Every penny we make goes back into funding the next bold steps, to help bring forward the day when all cancers are conquered. To date, we've played an instrumental role in forming over 60 spin-out companies and helped to bring 11 cancer drugs to market.

For more information and to get in touch with the team, visit cancerresearchhorizons.com