Bispecific antibodies targeting dual tumor-associated antigens in cancer therapy

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have emerged as a leading drug class for cancer therapy and are becoming increasingly of interest for therapeutic applications. As of April 2020, over 123 BsAbs are under clinical evaluation for use in oncology (including the two marketed BsAbs Blinatumomab and Catumaxomab). The majority (82 of 123) of BsAbs under clinical evaluation can be categorized as bispecific immune cell engager whereas a second less well-discussed subclass of BsAbs targets two tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). In this review, we summarize the clinical development of dual TAAs targeting BsAbs and provide an overview of critical considerations when designing dual TAA targeting BsAbs.

Herein the relevant literature and clinical trials published in English until April 1st 2020 were searched using PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov database. BsAbs were considered to be active in clinic if their clinical trials were not terminated, withdrawn or completed before 2018 without reporting results. Data missed by searching ClinicalTrials.gov was manually curated.

Dual TAAs targeting BsAbs offer several advantages including increased tumor selectivity, potential to concurrently modulate two functional pathways in the tumor cell and may yield improved payload delivery.

Dual TAAs targeting BsAbs represent a valuable class of biologics and early stage clinical studies have demonstrated promising anti-tumor efficacy in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.