Boehringer to produce esophageal cancer candidate CAN-017 for CANbridge

Chinese privately-held biopharma firm CANbridge Life Sciences has signed an agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim for the manufacture of CAN-017, an ErbB3 (HER3) inhibitory antibody to treat esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC).

CANbridge plans to initiate a Phase IIa clinical trial for the treatment of ESCC in Greater China. ESCC is the most prevalent form of esophageal cancer worldwide, with a high incidence in China and other Asian and developing countries. Every year, there are over 450,000 new cases diagnosed and over 50% of these cases are occurring in China.

CANbridge acquired worldwide rights (excluding North America) to CAN-017 from the US company AVEO Oncology, where it was being developed as AV-203, and had completed a successful Phase I study in patients with solid tumor cancers. With the acquistion of CAN-017, CANbridge plans to expand outside of Asia for the first time, bringing the therapy to regions where ESCC patients have few options, after demonstrating proof-of-concept in China.