HighField Biopharmaceuticals has been granted clearance from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to begin a Phase I clinical trial of HF50, a T-cell Redirecting Antibody Fragment-anchored Liposome (TRAFsome), in patients with advanced solid tumors. The trial, an open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study, is slated to commence in the first quarter of 2025.
Novel T-Cell Engager for Solid Tumors
The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic characteristics, immunogenicity, and preliminary efficacy of HF50. This therapy leverages HighField's TRAFsome technology, a unique lipid bilayer system designed to harness T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells. HF50 also incorporates Resiquimod, a compound that enhances the anti-tumor immune response.
Dr. Yuhong Xu, CEO and Scientific Founder of HighField Biopharmaceuticals, stated, "This is a highly significant milestone for our company and patients. Once we proved the LipoADCplex platform could be safer, cheaper and more effective than antibody-drug conjugates, the next logical step is to enlist immune cells with a second antibody to enable immunotherapy against the target cells."
TRAFsome Technology: A Multifaceted Approach
The TRAFsome T-cell engagers are engineered to transform T-cells into a potent force against cancer while simultaneously releasing a payload within the tumor microenvironment to amplify immune reactions against the tumor. This approach builds upon HighField’s LipoADCplex platform, which has already yielded K1, a product with a favorable safety profile in clinical trials.
HF50 distinguishes itself from bispecific antibody constructs and CAR T-cells by integrating three specific activities: activating T-cells, directing T-cells to target cells, and releasing a payload to facilitate immune responses. Preclinical data suggests that TRAFsomes are safer and more effective, with the potential for modular construction at low costs and the ability to incorporate different payloads for expanded applications.
Clinical Development and Future Directions
HighField Biopharmaceuticals is also advancing K16, a drug encapsulated immune modulating liposome targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells in clinical trials for refractory cancers, and HFG1, an LNP-mRNA complex for expression of a GLP-1R agonist for weight loss and diabetes. The company previously dosed the first subjects in a Chinese trial assessing its candidate for the treatment of recurrent and refractory glioma in July 2023.
