Abstract 6940: A first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF tri-specific ADC achieves enhanced preclinical antitumor efficacy through direct cytotoxicity, immune checkpoint blockade and VEGF inhibition

Abstract PD-L1 is an established immunotherapy target highly expressed in various solid tumors, while B7-H3 is another extensively investigated target overexpressed on a wide range of tumor cells. ADCs targeting PD-L1 or B7-H3 have entered clinical development and shown promising efficacy. PD-L1-directed ADCs may combine direct cytotoxicity and immunotherapy, demonstrating antitumor activity even in PD-L1-negative patients. However, ADC-related toxicity may limit their clinical dosing and thus restrict the full immune-mediated effects. Meanwhile, VEGF/PD-(L)1 bispecific antibodies are emerging as next-generation immunotherapies, with multiple trials exploring their combination with ADCs. Here, we developed ALK208, a trispecific ADC targeting PD-L1, B7-H3, and VEGF, conjugated to a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. It is designed to integrate direct tumor cell killing, immune checkpoint blockade, and anti-angiogenic activity for maximal antitumor efficacy. Through optimized linker-payload design and DAR, ALK208 exhibited an improved safety profile, enabling higher dose levels to support robust PD-L1 blockade and VEGF neutralization. In preclinical studies, ALK208 simultaneously bound B7-H3, PD-L1, and VEGF with affinity comparable to monospecific antibodies. It effectively blocked VEGF/VEGFR and PD-1/PD-L1 interactions in reporter assays. Concurrent binding of B7-H3 and PD-L1 enhanced cellular binding and internalization in B7-H3/PD-L1 double-positive tumor cells, leading to more potent cytotoxicity than monospecific ADCs. VEGF-mediated crosslinking further strengthened binding, internalization, and cell-killing activity compared to a PD-L1/B7-H3 bispecific ADC. In the presence of VEGF homodimer, ALK208 also showed enhanced PD-L1 blockade in functional assays. Importantly, it did not kill activated T cells or APCs in vitro, suggesting a favorable immune safety profile. In xenograft models, ALK208 outperformed clinical-stage PD-L1 and PD-L1/B7-H3 ADCs. In summary, ALK208 is a first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF trispecific ADC that integrates multiple complementary mechanisms to maximize antitumor efficacy while maintaining a promising safety profile. Citation Format: Jiajia Pan, Pengfei Wang, Hongwang He, Mengfan Peng, Meng Cheng, Jie Zhang, Chengyi Ju, Jun Wang, Li Li, Hui Feng, . A first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF tri-specific ADC achieves enhanced preclinical antitumor efficacy through direct cytotoxicity, immune checkpoint blockade and VEGF inhibition [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 6940.

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Journal
Cancer Research
Published
2026-04-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2026-6940
Primary Topic
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
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article

Abstract 6940: A first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF tri-specific ADC achieves enhanced preclinical antitumor efficacy through direct cytotoxicity, immune checkpoint blockade and VEGF inhibition

Chengyi Ju, Haixia He, Mengfan Peng, Hui Feng et al.
Cancer Research
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
article

Abstract 6940: A first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF tri-specific ADC achieves enhanced preclinical antitumor efficacy through direct cytotoxicity, immune checkpoint blockade and VEGF inhibition

Chengyi Ju, Haixia He, Mengfan Peng, Hui Feng, Jun Wang, Li Li, Pengfei Wang, Jiajia Pan, Meng Cheng, Jie Zhang
article en

Abstract

Abstract PD-L1 is an established immunotherapy target highly expressed in various solid tumors, while B7-H3 is another extensively investigated target overexpressed on a wide range of tumor cells. ADCs targeting PD-L1 or B7-H3 have entered clinical development and shown promising efficacy. PD-L1-directed ADCs may combine direct cytotoxicity and immunotherapy, demonstrating antitumor activity even in PD-L1-negative patients. However, ADC-related toxicity may limit their clinical dosing and thus restrict the full immune-mediated effects. Meanwhile, VEGF/PD-(L)1 bispecific antibodies are emerging as next-generation immunotherapies, with multiple trials exploring their combination with ADCs. Here, we developed ALK208, a trispecific ADC targeting PD-L1, B7-H3, and VEGF, conjugated to a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. It is designed to integrate direct tumor cell killing, immune checkpoint blockade, and anti-angiogenic activity for maximal antitumor efficacy. Through optimized linker-payload design and DAR, ALK208 exhibited an improved safety profile, enabling higher dose levels to support robust PD-L1 blockade and VEGF neutralization. In preclinical studies, ALK208 simultaneously bound B7-H3, PD-L1, and VEGF with affinity comparable to monospecific antibodies. It effectively blocked VEGF/VEGFR and PD-1/PD-L1 interactions in reporter assays. Concurrent binding of B7-H3 and PD-L1 enhanced cellular binding and internalization in B7-H3/PD-L1 double-positive tumor cells, leading to more potent cytotoxicity than monospecific ADCs. VEGF-mediated crosslinking further strengthened binding, internalization, and cell-killing activity compared to a PD-L1/B7-H3 bispecific ADC. In the presence of VEGF homodimer, ALK208 also showed enhanced PD-L1 blockade in functional assays. Importantly, it did not kill activated T cells or APCs in vitro, suggesting a favorable immune safety profile. In xenograft models, ALK208 outperformed clinical-stage PD-L1 and PD-L1/B7-H3 ADCs. In summary, ALK208 is a first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF trispecific ADC that integrates multiple complementary mechanisms to maximize antitumor efficacy while maintaining a promising safety profile. Citation Format: Jiajia Pan, Pengfei Wang, Hongwang He, Mengfan Peng, Meng Cheng, Jie Zhang, Chengyi Ju, Jun Wang, Li Li, Hui Feng, . A first-in-class PD-L1/B7-H3/VEGF tri-specific ADC achieves enhanced preclinical antitumor efficacy through direct cytotoxicity, immune checkpoint blockade and VEGF inhibition [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 6940.

Cancer ResearchVol. 86(7_Supplement)
Multimeric Biotherapeutics (United States) (US)
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Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
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