Pfizer starts its PD-L1 conjugate with lung first

For the third time recently Pfizer has jumped straight from phase 1 to phase 3 – now with its PD-L1-targeting ADC fetrastobart vedotin. The company previously disclosed pivotal plans in first-line head and neck cancer and relapsed NSCLC, and the latter is the first to emerge on clinicaltrials.gov. The trial will compare fetra-v versus docetaxel in 680 lung cancer patients with PD-L1 ≥1% who progressed during or after treatment with PD-(L)1 inhibitors, platinum chemo and targeted therapies, if appropriate. Pfizer’s clinical pipeline includes another anti-PD-L1 ADC, PF-08046037, which uses a different payload. The Seagen-originated fetrastobart vedotin uses MMAE while PF-08046037 employs a TLR7 agonist. Beyond Pfizer, according to OncologyPipeline, two other companies have PD-L1-targeting ADCs in clinical development, Henlius and Innovent. Henlius’s HLX43 showed an overall response rate of 38% at 2mg/kg in early NSCLC data presented at ASCO, with more results expected at the World Conference on Lung Cancer. Meanwhile, Innovent’s bispecific TROP2 x PD-L1 ADC IBI3014 entered the clinic earlier this year in China, and is now moving towards global development. Pfizer earlier fast-tracked its EZH2 inhibitor mevrometostat and KAT6 inhibitor PF-07248144 from phase 1 straight into phase 3. Anti-PD-L1 ADCs in the clinicProjectCompanyStatusFetrastobart vedotinPfizerPhase 3 in NSCLCHLX3HenliusVarious phase 2 trials including 1 in NSCLCIBI3014*InnoventPhase 1/2 in solid tumoursPF-08046037PfizerPhase 1 in solid tumoursNote: *also targets TROP2. Source: OncologyPipeline.