Groundbreaking Milestone: Epsilogen Wraps Up First Clinical Trial of IgE Antibody for Cancer Treatment

Epsilogen’s Leading IgE Antibody Drug Candidate, MOv18 IgE, Shows Promise in Phase I Trial for Ovarian Cancer

Epsilogen, a prominent player in the life sciences industry, has been conducting groundbreaking research on its lead IgE antibody drug candidate, MOv18 IgE. This innovative drug binds to the anti-folate receptor (FRα), a well-validated target for ovarian cancer treatment. The phase I study involved 26 patients with platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma.

The study, titled “A Cancer Research UK phase I study of MOv18 IgE, a first-in-class chimeric IgE antibody against folate receptor-alpha, in patients with advanced solid tumours,” unveiled promising results. The drug demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with transient urticaria being the most common adverse event. Remarkably, the urticaria resolved within hours of dosing, either spontaneously or with the help of systemic steroids and antihistamines.

Though the primary purpose of the trial was not to establish efficacy, researchers observed tumor shrinkage and a reduction in CA 125 tumor marker levels in one patient. Notably, the authors noted that the drug’s anti-tumour activity occurred at much lower doses compared to traditional IgG antibodies, highlighting the distinct differences in Fc-receptor affinity and effector cell biology.

Cancer Treatment This trial marks a significant milestone as IgE represents a new class of cancer drug. Professor James Spicer, lead investigator and a prominent figure in Experimental Cancer Medicine at King’s College London, expressed optimism about the drug’s potential. He stated, “IgE is a completely new form of antibody therapy which has shown great promise in this phase I trial. Our findings show that the drug was well tolerated in patients and shrunk a cancerous tumor in a patient with ovarian cancer. The results pave the way for the development of an entirely new class of anti-cancer drug for people with chemotherapy-resistant cancers. The immunology expertise in King’s College London laboratories allowed us to undertake this trial of a completely new form of antibody therapy.”

Tim Wilson, the CEO of Epsilogen, echoed the enthusiasm surrounding the data published in Nature Communications. He emphasized that these results further validate the potential of IgE antibodies as a novel treatment modality for cancer patients. The company has a comprehensive clinical development plan in place to advance MOv18 IgE further into the clinic, and the data generated will contribute to the development of other IgE antibody drug candidates.

Cancer Treatment