Abbisko Therapeutics has entered into a strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca to jointly advance the clinical development of a combination therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The partnership will evaluate Abbisko's investigational oral PD-L1 inhibitor, lumipodlin (ABSK043), in combination with AstraZeneca's third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), TAGRISSO (osimertinib). The multicentre, open-label Phase I/II clinical trial will assess the safety and efficacy of the combination in patients with EGFR-mutated, PD-L1-positive locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.

On 20 May 2026, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) cleared the investigational new drug (IND) application for the combination study. Abbisko Therapeutics will lead the Phase II trial, while both companies will share responsibility for conducting the clinical study.

Lumipodlin is being developed as a potential first-in-class oral small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitor. The company believes its oral formulation and mechanism of action could offer advantages over existing treatment approaches.

Although third-generation EGFR-TKIs such as osimertinib are the current standard first-line treatment for EGFR-mutated NSCLC, patients with high PD-L1 expression generally experience lower treatment benefits than those with low or negative PD-L1 expression. The collaboration aims to address this unmet medical need by exploring a new immunotherapy and targeted therapy combination for this patient group.

 

Source: prnewswire.com

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