NextPoint Initiates Phase 1a/b Trial of NPX887 for HHLA2+ Solid Tumors

NextPoint Therapeutics, a biotech firm specializing in precision oncology treatments, has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for NPX887, a drug designed to target solid tumors with high expression of the HHLA2/B7-H7 antigen, which is often elevated in various human cancers regardless of PD-L1 status. The trial, identified as NCT06240728, is an open-label, multi-center study that includes a dose escalation phase and an expansion phase. It aims to assess the safety, drug activity, and patient selection based on biomarkers for NPX887 in treating patients with specific solid tumor types, including non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, and others that express HHLA2/B7-H7.

Dr. Leena Gandhi, NextPoint's Chief Medical Officer, emphasized the significance of the NPX887 trial launch, highlighting the company's strategy to explore the HHLA2/B7-H7 pathway for cancer immunotherapy. The company's first clinical program, NPX267, targets the KIR3DL3 receptor for HHLA2, and together with NPX887, NextPoint seeks to understand how to best utilize this pathway for effective cancer treatment. The goal is to use HHLA2 as a biomarker for selecting patients who are most likely to benefit from these therapies, with both drugs potentially offering single-agent efficacy in certain patient groups.

NPX887 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets HHLA2 (B7-H7), a new immune checkpoint and tumor-specific antigen that is highly expressed in many cancers. It is engineered to inhibit KIR3DL3-mediated immunosuppression by binding to HHLA2, thereby enhancing T and NK cell activity against tumors. Further information on the clinical trial can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT06240728.

NextPoint Therapeutics is pioneering the field of immuno-oncology with its focus on the novel HHLA2 axis, also known as B7-H7. The company's approach combines scientific research with a clinical biomarker strategy to develop new monotherapies for patients who do not respond to PD-1/L1 inhibitors and other treatments. NextPoint is also developing therapies that leverage the unique overexpression of HHLA2 in cancer as a target for treatment. The company's team, which includes experienced drug developers and distinguished scientific founders, is dedicated to advancing precision immuno-oncology. 

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