Innate Pharma announced today that its novel NK cell engager IPH6501 will be featured at the upcoming European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress 2025, taking place June 12-15 in Milan, Italy. The abstract highlights the company's innovative ANKET® (Antibody-based NK cell Engager Therapeutics) platform technology targeting CD20-positive B-cell malignancies.
The selected abstract, titled "Antitumor characterization of IPH6501, a novel il2v-armed tetraspecific NK cell engager targeting CD20 B cells, in DLBCL and FL patient samples, and in preclinical combination with R-CHOP," will be presented during Poster session 2 on Saturday, June 14.
Additionally, an abstract related to SAR'514/IPH6401, developed in partnership with Sanofi, was accepted for online publication. This abstract, "The BCMA NK Cell Engager SAR'514 Induces Macrophage-Mediated Phagocytosis which is improved by combination with Evorpacept, a CD47 Blocker, in Multiple Myeloma," further demonstrates the versatility of Innate's proprietary platform.
Revolutionary Multi-Specific NK Cell Engager Technology
The ANKET® platform represents a significant advancement in cancer immunotherapy by creating multi-specific molecules that harness the power of natural killer cells. IPH6501 stands out as the first tetraspecific NK cell engager that simultaneously targets multiple critical components:
- Activating receptors on NK cells (NKp46 and CD16)
- IL-2R through a variant of human IL-2 (excluding the alpha subunit)
- The tumor antigen CD20 expressed on malignant B cells
This unique mechanism provides both proliferation and activation signals specifically to NK cells, enhancing their cytotoxic activity against CD20-expressing cancer cells.
Dr. Yannis Morel, Executive Vice President, Product Portfolio Strategy & Business Development at Innate Pharma, stated in a previous communication: "Our ANKET® platform represents a new generation of NK cell engagers with the potential to address significant unmet needs in cancer treatment."
Promising Preclinical Results
According to the company, IPH6501 has demonstrated superior anti-tumor efficacy compared to currently approved benchmark antibodies in preclinical tumor models. These findings have been presented at major scientific conferences, including EHA 2023 and SITC 2024, and published in Science Immunology earlier this year.
The preclinical data suggests that by engaging multiple NK cell activating receptors simultaneously while providing IL-2 stimulation, IPH6501 may overcome limitations of existing therapies for B-cell malignancies.
Clinical Development Underway
IPH6501 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 multicenter clinical trial (NCT06088654) investigating its safety and tolerability in patients with relapsed and/or refractory CD20-expressing B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This patient population represents an area of significant unmet medical need, as many patients develop resistance to current standard-of-care treatments.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is one of the most common hematological malignancies, with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) being the predominant subtypes. Despite advances in treatment, a substantial portion of patients with relapsed or refractory disease face limited therapeutic options.
Expanding the ANKET® Portfolio
The ANKET® platform is central to Innate Pharma's strategy of developing next-generation immunotherapies. Beyond IPH6501, the company's portfolio includes several other ANKET® drug candidates targeting various tumor types, as well as IPH4502, a differentiated Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) in development for solid tumors.
The company's partnership with Sanofi on SAR'514/IPH6401 further validates the potential of this technology platform. This second ANKET® candidate targets BCMA, a well-established target in multiple myeloma, and the abstract to be published at EHA 2025 will provide insights into its potential synergy with CD47 blockade.
About Innate Pharma
Headquartered in Marseille, France, with a U.S. office in Rockville, Maryland, Innate Pharma is a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing the innate immune system to develop novel cancer immunotherapies. The company is listed on both Euronext Paris and Nasdaq.
Innate's innovative approach encompasses three therapeutic strategies: multi-specific NK Cell Engagers via its proprietary ANKET® platform, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Through strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies like Sanofi and AstraZeneca, Innate continues to advance its pipeline for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide.
