China-based Kexing Biopharm has dosed the first subject in a Phase I clinical trial of GB10, a bispecific antibody (BsAb) targeting both VEGF and Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The GB10 clinical trial, conducted through wholly-owned subsidiary Shenzhen Kexing Pharmaceutical, marks the company's first wholly-owned novel ophthalmic drug to reach human testing, according to a press release.
The molecule is formulated at 140 mg/mL — higher than Roche's VEGF/Ang-2 BsAb Vabysmo (faricimab)'s 120 mg/mL and VEGF antibody Eylea (aflibercept) 8 mg's 114.3 mg/mL — and is designed to achieve a once-every-four-months intravitreal dosing schedule. According to Kexing, preclinical data in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization monkey model demonstrated inhibition of pathological fundus neovascularization.
Kexing's molecule enters a field already reshaped by Roche's faricimab, the first approved dual VEGF/Ang-2 bispecific for nAMD, and high-dose aflibercept 8 mg (Eylea HD, Regeneron/Bayer), both of which support up to 16-week dosing intervals. GB10 shares faricimab's dual-target rationale but employs a structurally distinct VEGF-Trap fused to an anti-Ang-2 single-domain VHH antibody, rather than a full bispecific IgG format.
For Kexing, GB10 anchors an ophthalmic innovation strategy that also includes an aflibercept biosimilar and olopatadine hydrochloride eye drops, pairing novel mechanisms with commercial-stage products. The company's most advanced asset, GB05 — a recombinant human interferon α1b inhalation solution for pediatric RSV — is in Phase III in China with US FDA IND clearance obtained in 2025, demonstrating a broader internationalization ambition that GB10 may eventually follow.