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
–RBN-2397 is a novel first-in-class oral PARP7 inhibitor that increases immune cell infiltration into tumors and is expected to improve outcomes of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Cambridge, MA – March 29, 2022 – Ribon Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting stress support pathways, today announced 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). RBN-2397 is a small molecule inhibitor of PARP7 being evaluated in multiple clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.
“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.
About Ribon Therapeutics
Ribon Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting novel enzyme families activated under cellular stress conditions that contribute to disease. Ribon’s portfolio includes two oral first-in-class clinical programs, RBN-2397 (a PARP7 inhibitor) and RBN-3143 (a PARP14 inhibitor), targeting broad indications in oncology and inflammatory diseases. The company explores novel areas of biology to develop effective treatments for patients with limited therapeutic options and has active clinical programs in oncology and inflammatory disease. Leveraging our proprietary BEACON+ (Blocking the Enzyme Activity Component of NAD+) platform, we are building a pipeline of selective, small molecule inhibitors to numerous NAD+-utilizing enzymes, beginning with monoARTs (mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase), which have applications across multiple therapeutic areas. Ribon is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Brendan Burns
Argot Partners
212.600.1902
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Media:
David Rosen
Argot Partners
212.600.1902
[email protected]