Compass Therapeutics Advances Pipeline with New Bispecific Antibody Candidate
Key Insights
Compass Therapeutics is set to release Phase 2/3 data for tovecimig in biliary tract cancer (search) by the end of Q1 2025, marking a key milestone.
A novel PD-1 (search) x VEGF-A (search) bispecific antibody, CTX-10726 (search), is advancing as a new drug candidate, with an IND submission expected by year-end 2025.
Two Phase 2 biomarker trials are planned for mid-2025, evaluating tovecimig in DLL4 (search)-positive colorectal cancer (search) and CTX-471 in NCAM (search)/CD56 (search) expressing tumors.
Compass Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPX) has announced a corporate update highlighting the advancement of its oncology-focused pipeline, including a new bispecific antibody candidate and progress in ongoing clinical trials.
The company is anticipating top-line data from its Phase 2/3 trial of tovecimig (formerly CTX-009), a DLL4 (search) x VEGF-A (search) bispecific antibody, in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (search) (BTC) by the end of the first quarter of 2025. This randomized trial, known as COMPANION-002, is evaluating tovecimig in combination with paclitaxel.
New Drug Candidate: CTX-10726
Compass Therapeutics is also advancing CTX-10726 (search), a novel PD-1 (search) x VEGF-A (search) bispecific antibody, as a new drug candidate. Following a year of preclinical development, the company expects to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the end of 2025, with initial proof-of-concept clinical data anticipated in 2026. According to Thomas Schuetz, MD, PhD, CEO of Compass, CTX-10726 builds on the company's expertise in VEGF-IO and has been rigorously advanced by the research team.
CTX-10726 (search) is designed to synergistically deliver VEGF-A (search) blockade and checkpoint inhibition, potentially applicable to multiple solid tumor indications. Preclinical data suggests that the bispecific antibody demonstrates a highly stable structure with high affinity target binding and exhibits more potent PD-1 (search) blockade compared with data reported for other drugs in the class.
Ongoing Clinical Trials and Planned Studies
In addition to the tovecimig Phase 2/3 data readout, Compass Therapeutics is planning to initiate two Phase 2 biomarker trials in mid-2025:
- Tovecimig in DLL4-positive colorectal cancer: This study will evaluate tovecimig in combination with chemotherapy in the second-line setting.
- CTX-471 in NCAM/CD56 expressing tumors: CTX-471 is a CD137 agonist antibody. Clinical data presented at ASCO and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 2024 Annual Meeting, showed durable clinical responses in Phase 1 and a correlation between levels of NCAM (CD56) expression and disease control.
Furthermore, the Phase 1 dose-escalation study of CTX-8371, a PD-1 (search) x PD-L1 (search) bispecific antibody, has fully enrolled its third dosing cohort. Preliminary data from this study is expected in the second half of 2025. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) have been observed to date.
Financial Position
Compass Therapeutics reported an estimated $127 million in cash and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024. This is expected to provide a cash runway into the first quarter of 2027, supporting the company's ongoing clinical development programs.