On September 26, 2023,the R&D team of ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (referred to as "ImmuneOnco"“the company’, Hong Kong Stock Exchange stock code: 01541.HK)  reported the preclinical research results of IMM40H under the tittle of ‘The Novel High-Affinity Humanized Antibody IMM40H Targets CD70, Eliminates Tumors Via Fc-mediated Effector Functions, and Interrupts CD70/CD27 Signaling’in the top journal Frontiers in Oncology’

IMM40H is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting CD70. CD70 was reported highly expressed in many solid and hematological tumor tissues, while its ligand CD27 was expressed on regulatory T (Treg) cells. The CD70/CD27 interaction can activate Treg cells, allowing tumor cells to escape surveillance by the immune system. The paper demonstrates details of the pharmacodynamic differences between IMM40H and a number of competing products including Cusatuzumab and its analogs. In vitro experimental data show that IMM40H has stronger binding affinity to CD70 and tumor cell killing activities such as ADCC and ADCP than those of competing products. In vivo efficacy data show that IMM40H has a stronger tumor growth inhibitory effect than Cusatuzumab analogues, and its combination with IMM01 shows even better efficacy. The results of toxicology studies on cynomolgus monkeys show that IMM40H has a good safety profile.

ImmuneOnco has obtained IND approval for IMM40H from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2022. Previously,  IMM40H was authorized invention patents in the United States, China and Japan, a pending patent application in the European Union, and a patent Pending PCT patent application that may enter multiple signatory countries.

The Correspondence author, Dr. Wenzhi Tian, founder and chairman of ImmuneOnco  said:

 "We are very pleased to see the preclinical study results of our IMM40H published in Frontiers in Oncology. IMM40H is a CD70-targeting humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody with enhanced ADCC activity. It can inhibit CD70/CD27 signaling through which prevents the activation and proliferation of regulatory T cells. CD70 is a potentially effective therapeutic target for the treatment of CD70-positive tumors like lymphoma, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. We believe MM40H has great potential for clinical development, and we will actively promote clinical trial research and strive to bring it to the market, so as to benefit the cancer patients as soon as possible."