Zymeworks reports preliminary results from Phase 1 study of ZW191

Zymeworks (ZYME) announced preliminary results from a Phase 1 study evaluating ZW191, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting folate receptor-alpha, at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, being held October 22-26. As of September 10, the study enrolled 41 patients from doses 1.6 to 11.2 mg/kg, which was ongoing as of this date, in a heavily pretreated patient population of platinum resistant ovarian cancer, metastatic endometrial cancer, and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who were enrolled regardless of FR expression levels. The majority of patients, or 85%, remain on study treatment. “These first clinical data from our Phase 1 study of ZW191 provide early validation of our innovative approach to designing novel ADCs, through combining a unique antibody design with our proprietary payload, ZD06519. We are encouraged by the early signs of anti-tumor activity and favorable safety profile in a heavily pretreated population, which supports best-in-class potential and strengthens our confidence in this approach. With dose optimization planned to begin in the fourth quarter of this year and additional candidates such as ZW251 advancing in development, we remain focused on delivering meaningful new treatment options for patients with challenging cancers,” said Sabeen Mekan, MD, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development of Zymeworks.