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- Strong anti-tumor efficacy and favorable safety profile demonstrated in preclinical studies
- Currently in Phase 1 clinical trials in the U.S.; initial clinical data expected in 2027
Seoul (South Korea) – April 23, 2026, ABL Bio (CEO Sang Hoon Lee), a company specializing in bispecific antibodies, today announced successful poster presentations of ABL206 (NEOK001) and ABL209 (NEOK002) at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting held on April 20.
ABL206 and ABL209 are bispecific antibody antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) pipeline candidates developed by ABL Bio. Both programs are currently undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials in the United States. Global development and commercialization of these assets are being led by NEOK Bio, a subsidiary established by ABL Bio. NEOK Bio aims to accelerate clinical development and present initial clinical data in 2027.
Bispecific ADCs are designed to simultaneously target two antigens expressed on cancer cells, enabling more precise delivery of highly potent cytotoxic payloads, thereby enhancing both efficacy and safety. ABL206 targets B7-H3 and ROR1, while ABL209 targets EGFR and MUC1.
According to the posters presented at AACR, ABL206 demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity in preclinical studies by binding to B7-H3 and ROR1 and rapidly internalizing into cancer cells. A bystander effect—impacting neighboring tumor cells lacking the target antigens—was also observed. In addition, ABL206 induced tumor regression across multiple patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and showed activity against tumors that had relapsed following prior treatments.
ABL209 was designed to minimize binding to normal tissues while enhancing binding affinity to cancer cells expressing both target antigens. It demonstrated potent anti-tumor efficacy in PDX models and showed the potential to improve the therapeutic window, supported by favorable pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety profiles.
Sang Hoon Lee, CEO of ABL Bio, stated, “Bispecific ADCs are gaining attention as next-generation therapeutics capable of overcoming the limitations of conventional monoclonal ADCs. These preclinical results clearly demonstrate the strong potential of bispecific ADCs. Internally, we are actively advancing next-generation ADC programs, including dual-payload ADCs, to follow ABL206 and ABL209. The development of ABL Bio’s next-generation ADCs has now fully begun, and we look forward to your continued interest and support.”
About ABL Bio
ABL Bio is advancing a diverse pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage programs based on its proprietary bispecific antibody platform, Grabody. Clinical development programs for 10 pipeline assets—including ABL301 (SAR446159), ABL001 (tovecimig), ABL111 (givastomig), ABL503 (ragistomig), ABL105 (nesfrotamig), ABL104 (YH32364), ABL103, ABL202 (CS5001/LCB71), ABL206 (NEOK001), and ABL209 (NEOK002)—are underway across multiple countries, including the United States, China, Australia, and South Korea.
Following the completion of its Phase 1 clinical trial in the United States, further development of ABL301 (SAR446159) will be led by Sanofi. ABL001 (tovecimig), currently in Phase 2/3 trial for biliary tract cancer patients, has received both Fast Track and Orphan Drug Designations from the FDA. ABL111 (givastomig), which is being co-developed with NovaBridge, has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial in combination with nivolumab and chemotherapy, and plans to present additional data from the Phase 1b study at a global conference in the second half of this year.
In addition, multiple preclinical programs—including bispecific ADCs and dual-payload ADCs—are being continuously advanced through research and development.