I-Mab announces clinical trial collaboration with Bristol Myers

I-Mab (IMAB) announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY). The collaboration will evaluate the combination of givastomig, an investigational Claudin 18.2 x 4-1BB bispecific antibody jointly developed by I-Mab and ABL Bio with Bristol Myers Squibb’s immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab, and chemotherapy as a potential first-line treatment for patients with advanced Claudin 18.2-positive gastric and esophageal cancers. Under the terms of the agreement, the study will be a multi-national Phase 1 study conducted by I-Mab. Bristol Myers Squibb will supply nivolumab. Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to block the PD-L1 protein on cancer cells from binding to PD-1, enhancing T-cell function and resulting in improved anti-tumor responses.