Ribon Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Phase 1b/2 Study of RBN-2397 in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

On March 29, 2022 Ribon Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting stress support pathways, reported the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1b/2 study of RBN-2397 in combination with the anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy, pembrolizumab, in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) (Press release, Ribon Therapeutics, MAR 29, 2022, View Source [SID1234611092]). RBN-2397 is a small molecule inhibitor of PARP7 being evaluated in multiple clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.

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"RBN-2397 is a selective PARP7 inhibitor designed to activate the Type I interferon response in tumor cells and overcome a major limitation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Combining RBN-2397 with an anti-PD-1 ICI is expected to treat a variety of tumor types including SCCL, a devastating disease representing the second most common form of non-small cell lung cancer," said Prakash Raman, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Ribon Therapeutics. "The initiation of the Phase 1b/2 study of RBN-2397 with pembrolizumab will enable us to further understand the potential utility of this combination therapy."

"PARP7 is amplified and highly expressed in SCCL and certain other solid tumors. We have seen encouraging results from our ongoing Phase 1 trial of RBN-2397 as a monotherapy, which is currently evaluating a number of defined expansion cohorts, including patients with SCCL," said Sudha Parasuraman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Ribon Therapeutics. "The RBN-2397- pembrolizumab combination is anticipated to drive activated T cells into tumors with the potential to overcome resistance to ICIs. We look forward to evaluating this biology-driven combination in the clinical setting for patients with SCCL who are in need of new therapeutic options."

About RBN-2397

RBN-2397 is an orally available small molecule inhibitor of PARP7 being developed for the treatment cancer. PARP7 is upregulated in response to cellular stress, including genomic instability in cancers, and acts as a brake on the cellular stress response by negatively regulating the Type I interferon response. By inhibiting PARP7 in tumor cells, RBN-2397 has been shown to directly inhibit cellular proliferation and restore interferon signaling to stimulate an innate and adaptive antitumor immune response. RBN-2397 is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial as a monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors and in a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in combination with pembrolizumab. PARP7 is overexpressed in a number of tumors, including squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, or SCCL, which represents approximately 30% of all non-small cell lung cancers.