LBL-024 is a PD-L1 and 4-1BB dual-targeting bispecific antibody. It stands as the first molecule targeting co-stimulatory receptor 4-1BB to have reached pivotal stage globally. LBL-024 has the potential to become the first drug specifically approved for treating EP-NEC, a cancer type with highly unmet medical needs.
By harnessing our proprietary X-Body™ platform, a robust 4-1BB engager platform developed in-house, LBL-024 is engineered in a 2:2 format, features two binding domains for each of PD-L1 and 4-1BB and a significantly differentiated affinity ratio of approximately 1:300 for 4-1BB versus PD-L1. The dual functions of LBL-024 — lifting PD-1/L1 immune inhibition and intensifying 4-1BB modulated T cell activation — allow it to achieve synergistic tumor-killing effects and promising broad-spectrum cancer therapeutic potential comparable to PD-1/L1 inhibitors. The unique molecular design of LBL-024 enables it to effectively minimize the systemic toxicity typically associated with 4-1BB agonists while achieving synergistic antitumor effects through both immune activation and the alleviation of immune suppression.
LBL-024 has demonstrated encouraging efficacy signals with a favorable safety profile for the treatment of advanced EP-NEC, either as a monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy, in our Phase I/II clinical trials in China. The absence of a standard of care for EP-NEC allows us to pursue an accelerated regulatory approval through a single-arm pivotal trial. Additionally, we have received the Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for LBL-024 in treating late-line EP-NEC from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in October 2024, as well as the Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in treating NEC from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2024.
Beyond NECs, LBL-024 monotherapy has also generated preliminary efficacy signals in multiple other large cancer indications, particularly SCLC, BTC and NSCLC. Moreover, we see extensive indication expansion opportunities with LBL-024, considering the selective expression of 4-1BB on tumor-experienced cytotoxic T cells, its key co-stimulatory effects, and the broad expression of PD-L1 across various cancer types. These attributes make LBL-024 a promising candidate for treating additional prevalent cancer types, such as ESCC, HCC and GC.
Leads Biolabs is developing LBL-024 in-house and owns the global rights to develop and commercialize LBL-024.