FibroGen, Regeneron in deal for oncology assets in evaluation combo study

FibroGen (FGEN) announced a clinical trial supply agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) to evaluate FibroGen’s immuno-oncology assets, FG-3165 and FG-3175, in combination with Regeneron’s anti-PD-1 therapy, LIBTAYO or cemiplimab, in patients with solid tumors. “We are very excited to collaborate with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to evaluate two separate novel combination approaches to treat patients with select solid tumors,” said Deyaa Adib, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of FibroGen. “We believe that the mechanisms of action for both FG-3165 and FG-3175 have the potential to be synergistic with cemiplimab, providing the possibility for an improvement in clinical outcomes for patients. We look forward to building a collaborative relationship with Regeneron, who is a leader in oncology therapeutic products development and commercialization.” FG-3165 targets Gal9, which binds multiple immune checkpoints on lymphocytes that suppress T and natural killer NK cell activation. FG-3175 targets CCR8, a receptor frequently over-expressed on T regulatory cells in solid tumors. Both FG-3165 and FG-3175 have demonstrated complementary mechanisms of action with PD-1 inhibitors preclinically, and the Company believes that combining LIBTAYO( with either FG-3165 or FG-3175 may result in added clinical benefit for patients.