8 February 2019 - - US-based immuno-oncology company Arch Oncology, Inc has initiated a new Phase 1 clinical trial of AO-176 in select solid tumors with the first patient dosed, the company said.

AO-176 is an anti-CD47 antibody with a best-in-class profile that works by blocking the "don't eat me" signal and also by directly killing tumor cells, with preferential binding to tumor versus normal cells.

Sarah Cannon Research Institute dosed the first patient in the Phase 1 clinical trial of AO-176.

The multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study is evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of AO-176 in patients with select solid tumors.

AO-176 is a humanised anti-CD47 IgG2 antibody with a best-in-class profile. Arch Oncology's next-generation anti-CD47 antibody AO-176 is highly differentiated, with the potential to improve upon the safety and efficacy profile relative to other agents in this class of checkpoint inhibitors.

AO-176 works by blocking the "don't eat me" signal, the standard mechanism of anti-CD47 antibodies. Beyond blocking this signal, AO-176 also works by directly killing tumor cells.

Importantly, AO-176 binds preferentially to tumor cells, instead of to normal cells, and binds even more potently to tumors in their acidic microenvironment (low pH). AO-176 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with select solid tumors.

Arch Oncology is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of best-in-class antibody therapies for the treatment of patients with cancer.

The company's next-generation anti-CD47 antibodies are highly differentiated, with the potential to improve upon the safety and efficacy profile relative to other agents in this class.

Arch's lead therapy AO-176 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with select solid tumors.

Arch's leadership team has successfully developed new drugs for patients before and is backed by leading investors, including RiverVest Venture Partners, Roche Venture Fund, and 3x5 Partners.