Anbogen Therapeutics and University of Tokyo Launch Collaborative Research on ABT-301 Across Multiple Tumor Types

Agreement Announced

Anbogen Therapeutics Inc. (TPEx: 7784) has entered into a Collaborative Research Agreement with the Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, according to an announcement carried by PR Newswire UK. The collaboration will evaluate ABT-301 (Imofinostat), the company's selective Class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, across multiple solid tumor types, including osteosarcoma, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, bladder cancers and other refractory solid tumors.

The research will be led by Lecturer Daiki Kato, Professor Takayuki Nakagawa, and Professor Manabu Mochizuki, Director of the Affiliated Veterinary Medical Center at The University of Tokyo.

ABT-301: A Selective HDAC Inhibitor and Its Pipeline Context

ABT-301 is a selective Class I HDAC inhibitor currently being evaluated in a Phase I/II clinical trial in combination with anti-PD-1 and anti-VEGF agents in patients with pMMR/non-MSI-High metastatic colorectal cancer, according to the announcement. The compound is part of Anbogen's pipeline, which also includes the ABT-500 platform of peptide-drug conjugates and radio-drug conjugates.

The company's stated goal for the collaboration is to accelerate human clinical indication expansion for ABT-301 by leveraging comparative oncology models — particularly canine osteosarcoma, which the announcement describes as one of the most extensively studied comparative oncology models due to its biological and clinical similarities to human osteosarcoma.

Scientific Rationale and Leadership

In the announcement, Dr. John Hsu, Chairman and CEO of Anbogen Therapeutics, said: "Comparative oncology is far more than animal research. It is a powerful platform for generating cross-species translational evidence that can bridge preclinical findings and human clinical development." He added: "This strategic partnership will enable us to systematically assess ABT-301 across a broad range of difficult-to-treat solid tumors and expand beyond our current colorectal cancer program."

Dr. Daiki Kato of The University of Tokyo commented: "Naturally occurring cancers in dogs and cats develop spontaneously under environmental and lifestyle conditions shared with humans and evolve through immune editing to acquire complex tumor immune microenvironments." The collaboration leverages the university's expertise in comparative oncology, with canine osteosarcoma cited as one of the most extensively studied comparative oncology models due to its biological and clinical similarities to human osteosarcoma.

Clinical Context

The announcement notes that ABT-301 is currently being evaluated in a Phase I/II clinical trial in combination with anti-PD-1 and anti-VEGF in patients with pMMR/non-MSI-High metastatic colorectal cancer. The company stated that independent Phase III clinical studies have demonstrated significant synergistic efficacy when HDAC inhibitors are combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including marked improvement in progression-free survival.

Comparative oncology is highlighted as a strategic approach: naturally occurring cancers in dogs and cats share biological and clinical similarities with human cancers, potentially providing insights at disease stages that are difficult to study in early human trials. The University of Tokyo's research team described canine osteosarcoma as one of the most extensively studied comparative oncology models due to its parallels to the human disease.

Company Perspectives

Dr. John Hsu, Chairman and CEO of Anbogen Therapeutics, said: "Comparative oncology is far more than animal research. It is a powerful platform for generating cross-species translational evidence that can bridge preclinical findings and human clinical development." He added: "This strategic partnership will enable us to systematically assess ABT-301 across a broad range of difficult-to-treat solid tumors and expand its clinical potential beyond our current colorectal cancer program."

Dr. Daiki Kato of The University of Tokyo commented: "Naturally occurring cancers in dogs and cats develop spontaneously under environmental and lifestyle conditions shared with humans, and evolve through immune editing to acquire complex tumor immune microenvironments."

Clinical Context and Pipeline

ABT-301 is currently being evaluated in a Phase I/II clinical trial in combination with anti-PD-1 and anti-VEGF therapies in patients with pMMR/non-MSI-High metastatic colorectal cancer. The announcement noted that independent Phase III studies of other HDAC inhibitors combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown significant synergistic efficacy, including improved progression-free survival.

Anbogen's pipeline includes ABT-301 and the ABT-500 platform of peptide-drug conjugates and radio-drug conjugates. The company is listed on the Taipei Exchange (TPEx: 7784).