TRIGR Therapeutics, in which Handok (Chairman & CEO Young-jin Kim, Vice President Jin-ki Paik) owns a stake, merged with Compass Therapeutics on May 12, 2021.

TRIGR Therapeutics is an American bio-venture focusing on the development of cancer treatments. In 2019, Handok invested USD 5 million in TRIGR Therapeutics stakes. Compass Therapeutics is a U.S. bio-venture with clinical phase pipeline and that focuses on development of an exclusive antibody treatment for cancer. A major investor in Compass Therapeutics is OrbiMed, an investment firm specializing in global bio healthcare.

As a result of the merger, Compass Therapeutics will change the project name of ABL001, a cutting-edge bispecific antibody-based anticancer treatment developed by TRIGR Therapeutics after receiving a technology transfer from ABL Bio, to CTX-009 and accelerate its development. It is planning to apply for Investigational New Drug (IND) status in the United States in 2021 and conduct clinical studies on ovarian cancer, biliary tract cancer, and advanced colorectal cancer.

Compass Therapeutics will retain the rights to ABL001 (CTX-009) in countries outside Korea and China, and Handok will retain the rights in Korea. Handok is currently conducting Phase II clinical trials on biliary tract cancer to continue the development of this drug. It will enter into a strategic cooperation agreement with Compass Therapeutics and share information on development and processes as the two companies collaborate for the successful development of CTX-009 (ABL001) around the world, excluding China.

“Handok owns the rights to ABL001 in Korea. We will collaborate closely with Compass Therapeutics and accelerate domestic development so that this drug can be a novel treatment option for cancer patients,” said Handok Chairman and CEO Young-jin Kim. He added, “Compass Therapeutics has leading research capabilities and an impressive immunotherapy pipeline. Handok looks forward to enhancing the value of its shares in Compass Therapeutics as its investor and is striving to continue this collaboration in the future.”

“In the Phase I clinical trial results, partial response was observed in a group of terminal cancer patients to whom CTX-009 was administered. We are excited to conduct the Phase II study based on the results,” commented co-founder and CEO of Compass Therapeutics Thomas Schuetz. “In the Phase II study, we will evaluate the potential anticancer efficacy of CTX-009 in various types of cancers, and based on the data so far, the bispecific antibody shows high potential as an anticancer treatment.”

ABL001 is a cutting-edge cancer treatment that utilizes bispecific antibody platform technology. It is the first bispecific antibody to become a candidate substance in Korean clinical trials.  It demonstrates powerful anticancer activity by simultaneously targeting vascular endothelial growth factors and DLL4 (Delta-like ligand 4). Meaningful data was acquired for ABL001 in the clinical trial Phase 1b. Concomitant administration of ABL001 and Paclitaxel led to a partial response, reducing tumor size among biliary tract cancer patients. The ABL002 clinical trial Phase II led by Handok is testing a larger number of biliary tract cancer patients than in Phase 1b.