Hutchmed China Ltd on Wednesday said it has begun the global phase one clinical development programme for its targeted cancer therapy for patients with solid tumours.
The global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, headquartered in Hong Kong, said the first in-human trial is for HMPL-A251, an antibody-targeted therapy conjugate.
The programme, which has study sites in the US and China, kicked off with the first patient receiving the first dose on Tuesday.
HMPL-A251 is the first clinical-stage candidate derived from Hutchmed’s next-generation ATTC platform, the company said.
ATTCs combine chemotherapy and targeted therapies. The platform enables the development of drug candidates for diverse cancer types, Hutchmed said.
The study will evaluate HMPL-A251 in adult patients with unresectable, or not surgically removable, advanced or metastatic HER2-expressing solid tumours. HER2 is a receptor protein, which in cancer cells promotes excessive cell growth.
The study is divided into two parts: phase one is dose escalation, and phase 2a is dose expansion and optimisation.
In preclinical studies, HMPL-A251, which links the antibody and the payload, ‘exhibited superior anti-tumour efficacy and tolerability’, compared to co-administration, Hutchmed said.
Shares in Hutchmed China rose 1.0% to 202.00 pence on Wednesday afternoon in London.
Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
