EBC-129 Phase I Data Update: ADC Results
- An ongoing Phase I trial of EBC-129, a novel antibody drug conjugate (ADC), has yielded promising clinical data for treating pancreatic cancer.
- EBC-129 targets a unique N256-glycosylated epitope on CEACAM5 and CEACAM6, which are specific to tumors.
- The results showed that 81% of patients had previously received taxanes.Furthermore, 82% of patients' tumors expressed the EBC-129 antigen at meaningful levels, making them eligible for treatment.
EBC-129,an antibody drug conjugate (ADC),shows meaningful promise in treating pancreatic cancer,according to phase I trial data. Initial results,presented at the ASCO 2025 Annual Meeting,demonstrate an encouraging efficacy profile,especially in patients with heavily pre-treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The ADC, which specifically targets CEACAM5 and CEACAM6, led to notable response rates and disease control. The FDA’s Fast Track designation will expedite further development. News Directory 3 is following this story closely, as the results showed acceptable safety profiles across 58 patients, making the drug’s potential in the treatment of solid tumors, including those affecting gastroesophageal, appendiceal, colorectal and lung cancer patients.we’ll be bringing our readers additional updates as more cohorts are involved. Discover what’s next regarding EBC-129’s next phases.
EBC-129 Shows Promise for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Updated June 3, 2025
An ongoing Phase I trial of EBC-129, a novel antibody drug conjugate (ADC), has yielded promising clinical data for treating pancreatic cancer. The Experimental Drug Advancement Center (EDDC) in Singapore presented the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting in Chicago.
EBC-129 targets a unique N256-glycosylated epitope on CEACAM5 and CEACAM6, which are specific to tumors. The updated data included 21 patients with heavily pre-treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).The study evaluated doses of EBC-129 administered every three weeks.
The results showed that 81% of patients had previously received taxanes.Furthermore, 82% of patients’ tumors expressed the EBC-129 antigen at meaningful levels, making them eligible for treatment. The overall response rates (ORRs) were 25% and 20% for the 1.8 mg/kg and 2.2 mg/kg doses, respectively. Disease control rates (DCRs) reached 87.5% and 63.6%, with progression-free survival (PFS) of 19 and 12 weeks.
Robert W. Lentz, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of medicine, noted the challenges in treating metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. He added that the tolerability, prolonged disease control, and confirmed response observed with EBC-129 are encouraging. Lentz emphasized the importance of prioritizing biology-guided trials targeting EBC-129.
The U.S. FDA recently granted Fast Track designation to EBC-129 for PDAC treatment, which is expected to accelerate the drug’s development through increased regulatory engagement and expedited review pathways.
The Phase I trial included a dose escalation study open to all patients and an ongoing dose expansion study with cohorts in PDAC, gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA), and tumor-agnostic patients. Recruitment for the GEA and IHC-positive cohorts continues.
EBC-129 demonstrated a manageable safety profile in 58 patients, with uncomplicated neutropenia and infusion-related reactions being the main adverse events. The EBC-129 antigen was highly expressed in 52% to 100% of tumor tissues, including samples from gastroesophageal, appendiceal, colorectal, and lung cancer patients.
Damian O’Connell, CEO of EDDC, stated that the encouraging efficacy and safety profile of EBC-129 as a single-agent therapy highlights its potential for PDAC patients. He added that EBC-129 also shows promise against othre solid tumors, and EDDC plans to expand clinical evaluations.
“The clinical signals observed with EBC-129 in refractory pancreatic adenocarcinoma including tolerability, prolonged disease control and a confirmed response in a heavily pre-treated patient, are encouraging and clinically meaningful.”
What’s next
EDDC plans to continue clinical evaluations with ongoing dose expansion cohorts and accelerate the development of EBC-129 to address critical unmet needs in cancer treatment.