Taiwan-based HanchorBio, Inc. is taking another step to broaden the development path for HCB101, its lead oncology asset, through a new partnership with InxMed.
The clinical-stage biotech company has announced that its subsidiary FBD Biologics has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with InxMed (Shanghai), a late-stage biotechnology company focused on cancer drug resistance and tumour microenvironment biology.
Under the MoU, the two companies will conduct preclinical and translational research evaluating HCB101 in combination with InxMed's investigational assets, including IN10018/ifebemtinib, a FAK inhibitor, and OMTX705, a FAP-targeted antibody-drug conjugate.
For investors, the agreement is not a near-term revenue event. No licensing economics, upfront payment, or clinical trial commitment has been disclosed. The significance is strategic- HanchorBio is testing whether HCB101 can move beyond its current clinical anchors and become a broader combination asset for difficult-to-treat solid tumours.
HCB101 is a clinical-stage SIRPα-Fc fusion protein targeting the CD47/SIRPα pathway, designed to enhance macrophage-mediated anti-tumor activity. HanchorBio has been developing the asset with gastric cancer as an important clinical anchor, while also exploring other solid tumours, including head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer.
InxMed brings a complementary profile. Its lead asset, IN10018/ifebemtinib, has advanced into late-stage clinical development, including a Phase III trial in China for platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer, and has received Fast Track designation from the US FDA. Its pipeline focuses on tumour defense mechanisms, including FAK signaling, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and stromal barriers.
