Newswise — HOUSTON and REDWOOD CITY, Calif. ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and AmMax Bio, Inc. today announced a worldwide exclusive license agreement and clinical trial agreement to develop and advance AmMax’s AMB-066 monoclonal antibody therapy as a first-in-class treatment option for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and minimal residual disease (MRD) as well as those with MRD in other solid tumors.
Under the agreements, AmMax and MD Anderson will build upon preclinical discoveries made by MD Anderson researchers to evaluate the potential for AMB-066, which targets colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), in a Phase IIa proof-of-concept study, with patient enrollment anticipated to begin soon.
“AmMax sets out to bring innovative and practice-changing medicines to patients with cancer,” said Larry Hsu, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer of AmMax. “These agreements underscore our commitment to oncology innovation, and we look forward to our collaboration to evaluate AMB-066 in this setting to explore its potential to address a significant unmet medical need.”
Minimal residual disease refers to cells remaining after treatment that can cause a relapse of the cancer. In CRC, MRD is defined by the presence of circulating tumor DNA without radiographic evidence of a tumor. In the United States, an estimated 20,000 patients with CRC have MRD after definitive therapy, including curative intent surgery with or without neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapies. These patients are at an increased risk to relapse or develop metastasis to other organs, primarily the liver. Currently, there are no approved therapies for CRC MRD, and the standard of care is simply observation.
A research team led by Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and associate vice president for Translational Integration at MD Anderson, identified a potential opportunity for AMB-066 to effectively treat MRD-positive CRC in preclinical studies. These discoveries are covered by the licensing agreement.
“Patients with colorectal cancer who have minimal residual disease following standard therapy are at increased risk of recurrence and need more effective treatment options to ensure the cancer does not return,” Kopetz said. “We look forward to collaborating with AmMax to evaluate AMB-066 in this setting, based on our robust preclinical data and a large clinical safety database.”
Under the terms of the license agreement, MD Anderson is entitled to upfront and milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales of certain products.
Read this press release in the MD Anderson Newsroom.
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DisclosureMD Anderson has an institutional conflict of interest with AmMax Bio, and this relationship will be managed according to an MD Anderson Institutional Conflict of Interest Management and Monitoring Plan.
About AmMax BioAmMax, founded by Larry Hsu, Ph.D., in 2020, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for cancer patients. AmMax has built a robust pipeline addressing significant unmet needs and large commercial opportunities. The Company’s pipeline includes primarily AMB-066 for CRC MRD, AMB-104, a novel antibody-drug conjugate for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and AMB-051, an intra-articular injection for tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). For more information, please visit AmMaxBio.com.
About MD AndersonThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world, and, in 1971, it became one of the nation’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. MD Anderson is No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings and has been named one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).