Chinese pharmaceutical company Akeso Inc (HKEX:9926) announced on Thursday that results from a Phase II clinical study evaluating its first-in-class PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody ivonescimab in the perioperative treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been published in the journal Nature Medicine.

This Phase II trial assessed the efficacy and safety of perioperative ivonescimab administered either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Patients received neoadjuvant treatment followed by surgical resection and subsequent adjuvant ivonescimab.

According to Akeso, the study demonstrated that neoadjuvant ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy produced high rates of pathological response in patients with resectable NSCLC. Among patients who underwent surgery, the major pathological response (MPR) rate was 70.1%, and the pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 50.7%.

Ivonescimab is a first-in-class PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody independently developed by Akeso. It is claimed to be the world's first approved bispecific antibody that combines immuno-oncology and anti-angiogenesis mechanisms in a single molecule, helping to define a new generation of bispecific immuno-oncology therapies. Ivonescimab is also the first therapy to demonstrate positive results in a Phase III head-to-head study against pembrolizumab, Akeso said.

Akeso is advancing a global development programme for ivonescimab across multiple tumour types and treatment settings.

Akeso has out-licensed the exclusive rights to develop and commercialise ivonescimab in the United States and Canada, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Japan to Summit Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SMMT) under an agreement with a total potential value of up to USD5bn.