ADG153, an Anti-CD47 Monoclonal Antibody Prodrug, Has Strong In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity, Minimal RBC-Related and Antigen Sink Liabilities, and Extended Half Life in Comparison with Benchmark Clinical Antibodies of the Same IgG Subclass
Authors: Cai Bin , Nguyen Aaron N , Zheng Songmao , Shi Jianfeng , Liu Guizhong , Li Yan , Du Felix , Luo Peter , Xu Jiangchun 
Published: November 2021

Binding of the CD47 membrane protein, overexpressed on many tumor types, to the SIRPα inhibitory receptor on myeloid cells results in the inhibition of the activation of macrophages and other phagocytes against tumors. Therapies targeting the CD47/SIRPα axis have shown success in various preclinical models and are now in clinical trials for both solid and hematologic malignancies. Although anti-CD47 therapies have demonstrated promising clinical activities, the expression of CD47 on many different normal human cell types, including red blood cells (RBCs), serves as a large antigen sink for anti-CD47 antibodies. Blocking CD47 on RBCs, such as by magrolimab (Hu5F9), has led to transient anemia, requiring step-up dosing in the clinic.

To circumvent these challenges, we developed ADG153, a fully human anti-CD47 SAFEbody masked by conditionally activable peptides. In normal tissues, the SAFEbody masking moiety can function to block ADG153 from binding to CD47; however, in an activable condition such as the tumor microenvironment where protease activity has been reported to be elevated, the masked antibody can be activated, enabling the activated ADG153 antibody to bind to and inhibit CD47 function on tumor cells.

For head-to-head comparisons, in vitro studies were performed to compare the activity of Hu5F9 and unmasked ADG153 parental antibody of the IgG4 isotype. Both antibodies (1) blocked human SIRPα from binding to human CD47, (2) had similar potencies for binding to human CD47 protein, CD47-positive tumor cell lines, and human RBCs, and (3) induced macrophage phagocytosis. In contrast, the masked ADG153 SAFEbody demonstrated significantly reduced activities (&gt;450-fold) in the same in vitro assays, showing strong masking efficiencies. Unlike Hu5F9, both the ADG153 parental and SAFEbody molecules did not cause in vitro human RBC hemagglutination.

Although the ADG153 SAFEbody had significantly reduced binding to CD47 in vitro as expected, it demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity in in vivo mouse tumor models. In both the disseminated and subcutaneous CD47-positive Raji tumor models, the ADG153 SAFEbody of the IgG4 isotype showed similar anti-tumor activities to Hu5F9. However, in exploratory toxicology studies in cynomolgus monkeys, the ADG153 SAFEbody showed significantly less decreases than Hu5F9 in RBCs, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Hu5F9 at 10 mg/kg caused ~49% maximum decrease in RBCs, while ADG153 SAFEbody at 60 mg/kg showed ~23% maximum decrease in RBCs (Panel A). Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies of single intravenous dose ADG153 SAFEbody compared to Hu5F9 in monkeys demonstrated ~8-fold longer apparent half-life and ~9-fold higher Area Under the Curve at 10 mg/kg (Panel B). Collectively, ADG153 SAFEbody is a differentiated anti-CD47 antibody that has strong in vivo anti-tumor activity with reduced RBC-related and antigen sink liabilities and favorable PK properties. This preclinical profile with an enhanced therapeutic index provides a strong rationale for advancing ADG153 SAFEbody into clinical development.

Figure 1 Figure 1.

Disclosures

Cai: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Nguyen: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Sparcbio, LLC: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Zheng: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Shi: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Liu: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Li: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Du: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Luo: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Xu: Adagene Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Bristol Myers Squibb: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months.