Swiss biopharmaceutical company Pilatus Biosciences announced on Thursday that new preclinical data for its lead product candidate, PLT012, will be presented at the upcoming Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2025 Annual Meeting, being held on 5-9 November 2025 in National Harbor, Maryland.

PLT012, a humanised monoclonal antibody, is designed to selectively block CD36-mediated lipid uptake, a key mechanism driving immunosuppression and immune exclusion within the tumour microenvironment. The company says that it exerts a unique mechanism of action including depleting immunosuppressive cell populations, including Tregs and pro-tumour macrophages, while simultaneously improving anti-tumour activities of intratumoral NK cell and cytotoxic CD8+ T cell that are otherwise susceptible to lipid-induced exhaustion.

In preclinical studies, PLT012 has demonstrated potent monotherapy efficacy in models of liver malignancies, with a favourable safety profile across species. It further acts as a potent sensitiser in combination with anti–PD-L1 therapies, effectively overcoming drug resistance in immune 'cold' tumours and liver metastases.

Dr. Yi-Ru Yu, lead scientist at Pilatus Biosciences and presenting author, said: "Immunometabolism is a key lever for overcoming resistance in solid tumours. Our preclinical results demonstrate that PLT012, a first-in-class anti-CD36 monoclonal antibody, exerts a dual mechanism of action by reprogramming immune-metabolic pathways -- suppressing immunosuppressive Tregs while enhancing CD8+ T-cell responses in lipid-rich tumours. These combined effects have been shown to drive durable and superior anti-tumour efficacy across multiple cancer models, outperforming anti–PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and inducing long-lasting immune memory that sustains tumour control and protects against rechallenge."

Dr. Raven Lin, Pilatus Biosciences CEO, added: "Alongside a favourable GLP toxicology profile, these data support our planned Phase I study, with first patient in (FPI) targeted for Q1 2026."