Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. announced that results from two pre-clinical studies on its CRB-601 anti-aVb8 integrin monoclonal antibody were presented as posters at the 38(th) Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), being held in San Diego, CA November 1-5, 2023. In a study titled "CRB-601, an integrin v8 blocking antibody entering Phase I: pre-clinical and translational biomarkers for indication selection" (Vaishali Shinde, et al), researchers evaluated the anti-tumor activity, immunological changes and biomarkers of response of CRB-601 in pre-clinical mouse models. Results showed: CRB-601 demonstrated immunomodulatory effects as reflected in changes in cytotoxic 8+ T cell population and gene e expression in the TME.

Integrin av8 blockade led to modulation in TGF pathway related genes and downregulation of pathway biomarker pSMAD2. Corbus's proprietary av8 IHC assay enables understanding of the prevalence and expression pattern of the av8 in human tumors. Understanding gene and protein expression levels for various solid tumors may enable rational indication and patient selection.

A second s study titled CRB-601, a selective integrin v8-blocking antibody, prevents TGF activation, promotes immune cell remodeling, and exhibits potent antitumor activity (Maneesh Singh, et al), researchers assessed the tumor growth inhibition of CRB-601+/- anti PD-1 in three tumor models (MC38, EMT6, and 4T1). Results showed: CRB- 601 a advances immunotherapeutic strategies by antagonizing integrin v8, enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in vivo. The synergistic administration of CRB-601 with anti-PD-1 agents significantly enhances tumor-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses, suggesting an enriched T-cell precursor population.