Abstract 956: The HER2×HER3 bi-specific antibody Zenocutuzumab is effective at blocking growth of tumors driven by NRG1 gene fusions
Authors: Odintsov Igor , Khodos Inna , Espinosa-Cotton Madelyn , Lui Allan J. , Mattar Marissa , Schram Alison M. , Schackmann Ron C. , van Bueren Jeroen Lammerts , Geuijen Cecile A. , de Stanchina Elisa , Ladanyi Marc , Somwar Romel 
Published: July 2021

Fusions involving the neuregulin 1 gene (NRG1) occur at low frequency in pancreatic, lung, and other cancers. NRG1 fusion oncoproteins bind to HER3, leading to heterodimerization with HER2 and potent activation of downstream signaling mainly via the PI3K-AKT pathway. Zenocutuzumab (Zeno, MCLA-128), an ADCC-enhanced anti-HER2×HER3 bi-specific antibody, uniquely ‘docks' on HER2, to position the antibody and subsequently ‘block' NRG1 from interacting with HER3, effectively preventing HER2:HER3 heterodimerization and downstream signaling. Our goal in this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Zeno in preclinical models of NRG1 fusion-positive cancers.

We tested Zeno in a panel of isogenic and patient-derived cell line and xenograft (PDX) models of lung, breast and pancreatic cancers. Cell lines either expressed an NRG1 fusion endogenously (MDA-MB-175-VII, DOC4-NRG1) or by lentiviral transfer of cDNAs (ATP1B1-NRG1 and SLC3A2-NRG1 in H6c7 pancreatic ductal cell line; CD74-NRG1 and VAMP2-NRG1 in immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells; and DOC4-NRG1 in MCF7 breast cancer cells). PDX models were generated from NSCLC samples harboring CD74-NRG1 (ST3204) or SLC3A2-NRG1 (LUAD-0061AS3) fusions and from a high grade serous ovarian cancer harboring a CLU-NRG1 fusion (OV-10-0050). Zeno treatment of NRG1 fusion-expressing breast, pancreatic, and lung cancer cell lines resulted in dose-dependent reduction of growth and abrogated phosphorylation of HER3, HER4, AKT, p70S6 kinase and STAT3 in all cell lines tested. Phosphorylation of HER2, EGFR and MEK/ERK was inhibited, albeit with some variation, in a cell line-specific manner. Growth of isogenic control cell lines without NRG1 fusion was not significantly altered. In breast and lung cancer cell lines, Zeno treatment down-regulated cyclin D1 expression and induced expression of the negative cell cycle regulators P21 or P27. Evidence of apoptosis activation (cleaved PARP, expression of BIM and PUMA) was also observed in cells exposed to Zeno. Treatment of mice bearing LUAD-0061AS3, ST3204 and OV-10-0050 PDX tumors (2.5, 8, 25 mg/kg, QW) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth, with tumor shrinkage observed at higher doses. Finally, we assessed the ability of Zeno to induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity using a chromium release assay and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Zeno induced significant cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-175-VII cells while a non-ADCC enhanced, non-specific IgG had no effect.

Here we show that Zeno effectively blocks the growth of NRG1 fusion-positive cell line and xenograft models of tumors arising from lung, pancreas and other organs, and these results support the continued development of Zeno to treat patients with this molecularly defined subset of cancers.

Citation Format: Igor Odintsov, Inna Khodos, Madelyn Espinosa-Cotton, Allan J. Lui, Marissa Mattar, Alison M. Schram, Ron C. Schackmann, Jeroen Lammerts van Bueren, Cecile A. Geuijen, Elisa de Stanchina, Marc Ladanyi, Romel Somwar. The HER2×HER3 bi-specific antibody Zenocutuzumab is effective at blocking growth of tumors driven by NRG1 gene fusions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 956.