Glenmark Pharmaceuticals’ arm, Ichnos Glenmark Innovation (IGI), shared encouraging early results from a new cancer drug being tested on patients with a difficult form of blood cancer—relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting.
The drug, called ISB 2001, is the first of its kind to target three markers (BCMA, CD38, and CD3) in a single treatment and has shown strong response rates in patients who have already undergone multiple prior therapies.
In the dose-escalation stage of the trial, 35 patients were treated, most of whom had received a median of six prior therapies. Among 33 patients who received active doses (50 micrograms and above), the overall response rate (ORR) was 79 per cent, and 30 per cent achieved a complete or near-complete response.
The study also reported that six out of eight patients evaluated for minimal residual disease (MRD) tested negative, suggesting no detectable cancer cells at a molecular level. Subgroup data showed ORRs of 84 per cent in patients without prior T-cell therapies and 71 per cent in those who had received them. For patients previously treated with BCMA-targeted therapies, the ORR was 73 per cent.
Safety data showed that cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 69 per cent of patients, mostly at Grade 1 severity. Four patients experienced Grade 2 CRS, and no cases of severe CRS or dose-limiting toxicities were reported. One patient experienced a mild neurological side effect, and infection rates remained low.
The trial is continuing with a dose-expansion phase to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose and the optimal dosing schedule.
According to Professor Hang Quach of the University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital, ISB 2001 showed activity in patients who had previously received multiple treatment types, including T-cell redirecting and BCMA-targeted therapies.
Lida Pacaud, Chief Medical Officer at IGI, said the current focus is on identifying the appropriate dose and expanding the trial to a broader patient population.
