<scp>EMB</scp> ‐01, a Tetravalent Bispecific Antibody, Inducing Co‐Degradation of <scp>EGFR</scp> and c‐Met for Enhanced Anti‐Tumor Efficacy
The bispecific antibody EMB-01 (bafisontamab), constructed using EpimAb's proprietary FIT-Ig platform, is designed to simultaneously target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and receptor tyrosine kinase Met (c-Met). Here, we characterize EMB-01's binding properties, mechanisms of action, and anti-tumor efficacy using in vitro cell line models and in vivo models (patient-derived xenografts, PDXs). EMB-01 exhibits high-affinity binding to EGFR and c-Met, induces co-degradation of both receptors, enhances endocytosis, and elicits strong antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) effects. Mechanistically, EMB-01 effectively inhibits ligand-induced receptor phosphorylation, downstream AKT activation, and IL-8 secretion. Furthermore, EMB-01 demonstrates potent anti-tumor activity across multiple tumor models, outperforming existing EGFR-targeted therapies and other bispecific antibodies, while maintaining favorable pharmacokinetics with good tolerability in cynomolgus monkeys. These findings support the clinical development of EMB-01 as a promising therapeutic for EGFR/c-Met-driven cancers.
Authors
- Fang Ren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7155-5924)
- Yan Dai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5347-5136)
- Yuezong Bai
- Lin Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8798-4756)
- Jingyun Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9625-0723)
- Lixia Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7573-2498)
- Jing Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3613-9413)
- Xuan Wu
- Xi Jiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5588-5657)
- Chengbin Wu
Institutions
- Peking University (CN)
- Peking University Cancer Hospital (CN)
- Shanghai CASB Biotechnology (China) (CN)
- Link Foundation (US)
- Suzhou Research Institute (CN)
- Peking University Shenzhen Hospital (CN)
- Viva Biotech (China) (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cancer Science
- Published
- 2025-12-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.70280
- Primary Topic
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality