Innovent reports cancer drug results in breast, lung, pancreatic tumors

Innovent Biologics (IVBIY)(IVBXF) reported encouraging clinical trial results for two experimental cancer drugs, including a 95% tumor response rate in patients with advanced breast cancer and evidence of activity against several difficult-to-treat tumors. The findings were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology's 2026 congress in Madrid.

In a phase 2 study involving 20 patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, Innovent's IBI354, combined with pertuzumab, produced confirmed tumor shrinkage in 95% of patients. All patients experienced either tumor shrinkage or stabilization of their disease. HER2 is a protein that encourages cancer cells to grow when present at unusually high levels.

After a median follow-up of 9.6 months, only one patient had experienced disease progression and none had died. Four patients, or 20%, experienced severe treatment-related side effects. No cases of interstitial lung disease, a potentially serious inflammation of lung tissue associated with some cancer treatments, were reported. One patient discontinued treatment because of side effects.

Separately, Innovent reported Phase 1 results for IBI3001, an experimental drug targeting two proteins associated with cancer growth, EGFR and B7H3. Among 53 evaluable patients with advanced solid tumors, 30.2% experienced tumor shrinkage and 88.7% achieved disease control. At the 8 mg/kg dose, the response rate reached 45%.

Results varied by cancer type. Among patients with small cell lung cancer, the response rate was 62.5%, compared with 31.3% in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer and 15.4% in pancreatic cancer. Patients with the latter two cancers went a median of 7.7 months and 6.9 months, respectively, before their disease worsened or they died.

Both treatments belong to a class known as antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, which combine a cancer-targeting antibody with a powerful chemotherapy drug. The antibody helps deliver the cancer-killing medication directly to tumor cells, potentially limiting damage to healthy tissue. IBI3001 targets two cancer-associated proteins, while IBI354 targets HER2.

For investors, the findings provide further evidence supporting Innovent's growing portfolio of ADC treatments, a competitive area of cancer drug development. The company has already launched Phase 3 trials of IBI354 in breast and ovarian cancers, while IBI3001 has advanced into additional early-stage testing. However, the small patient populations and lack of randomized comparison groups make it difficult to assess how either drug performs against established therapies.

Safety will also remain a consideration for IBI3001. Nearly 47% of patients experienced severe treatment-related adverse events, primarily affecting blood cells, although only one patient permanently discontinued treatment and no treatment-related deaths were reported. Larger studies will be needed to establish whether the drugs can deliver meaningful improvements in survival and tolerability.