HCW Biologics Inc. ( HCWB ) stock is trading higher on Monday, with a session volume of 10.85 million compared to the average volume of 132.51K as per data from Benzinga Pro.

The company reported that its scientists have developed second-generation, pembrolizumab-based immunotherapeutics against solid tumors, particularly for pancreatic and ovarian cancer, using its novel proprietary TRBC product discovery and development platform technology.

Since their introduction to the treatment of cancer in 2011, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been hailed as a breakthrough cancer therapy.

Also Read: What’s Going On With HCW Biologics Stock Monday?

Immune checkpoint proteins are expressed on the surface of T cells as the acting regulators for inhibiting the overactivation of T cells. However, the company on Monday noted preclinical and clinical studies suggesting that the lack of immune-cell costimulatory activities on ICIs diminishes their anti-tumor efficacy.

“Immune checkpoint inhibitors revolutionized the immunotherapeutic approach against cancer. Unfortunately, it has been reported they only induce an overall response in less than 20% of cancer patients within their FDA-approved indications, and most responses are not durable,” said Hing Wong, founder and CEO of HCW Biologics ( HCWB ). “However, immune checkpoint inhibitors still commanded over $40 billion in annual worldwide sales in 2024. HCWB believes the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors can be improved by equipping them with other moieties which could neutralize the immunosuppressive cytokine, Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β), and activate effector immune cell responses.”

Pembrolizumab, known as Keytruda, is a leading FDA-approved ICI from Merck & Co., Inc. ( MRK ) .

HCW Biologics’ TRBC technology enables its scientists to construct pembrolizumab-based fusion molecules that not only have the potential to release the tumor immune surveillance blockade of immune cells by cancer cells and neutralize the most immunosuppressive cytokine, TGF-β, in the tumor microenvironment, but also simultaneously activate immune cells and promote their infiltration into solid tumors.

The company’s pembrolizumab-based fusion molecule has been selected as the leading clinical product candidate because, in preclinical studies, it exhibits potent anti-pancreatic cancer activities and outperforms pembrolizumab as monotherapy for cancer both in vitro and in humanized mouse models at dose levels that are well tolerated.

This novel fusion immunotherapeutic is designed to block the checkpoint receptors and engage the costimulatory receptors, analogous to taking the foot off the brake and simultaneously hitting the gas, thus representing a breakthrough second-generation ICI that revives the anti-tumor function of T cells.

Price Action: HCWB stock is up 58.79% at $5.48 during the premarket session at the last check on Monday.

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