JANUARY 10, 2025 (CAMBRIDGE, MA) – Ankyra Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company developing anchored drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer, today announced an expanded collaboration with Johnson & Johnson* to advance the clinical development of ANK-101, an IL-12 anchored drug conjugate that is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for solid tumors.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Ankyra will expand its clinical development plan to evaluate ANK-101 in several clinical trials designed to determine the safety and potential benefit of ANK-101 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. Janssen Biotech, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, will provide an upfront payment to support the expansion of ongoing Phase 1 clinical studies in NSCLC. Ankyra is also eligible to receive additional potential milestone-based payments under the terms of the agreement.
“We are delighted to build upon our existing collaboration with Johnson & Johnson to evaluate ANK-101 in patients with NSCLC,” said Howard Kaufman, M.D., president and chief executive officer. “We have observed a tolerable safety profile for ANK-101 in our Phase 1 studies with evidence of immune activation across a range of different solid cancers.” Joe Elassal, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Ankyra added “NSCLC is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and our collaboration with Johnson & Johnson will help further develop ANK-101 in a number of NSCLC populations who may not have other therapeutic options.”
*Legal entity Janssen Biotech, Inc.
About Ankyra Therapeutics
Ankyra Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that has developed a highly differentiated technology platform that expands the therapeutic window of therapeutic drugs by forming a stable depot in the tumor after local administration leading to prolonged immune activation and potent local and systemic immunity with reduced systemic toxicity. Ankyra was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.ankyratx.com
For Investor Inquiries:
Howard L. Kaufman, MD
President and CEO
Ankyra Therapeutics
info@ankyratx.com
For Media Inquiries:
Noah Oshry
Head of Business Operations
noshry@ankyratx.com