Cambium Oncology LLC, an Atlanta-based biotech, has received a USD 1.05 million SBIR fast-track grant from the National Cancer Institute to advance ANT308-Fc3, an antibody-fusion immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to NIH Reporter. The award funds work toward an investigational new drug (IND) filing to support a future Phase I trial, reflecting NCI interest in immune checkpoint alternatives for blood cancers that have not responded to existing checkpoint inhibitors.
ANT308-Fc3 targets vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) signaling, which has emerged as a potential immune checkpoint in AML, suppressing antitumor immune responses through mechanisms distinct from PD-1/PD-L1. The company licensed VIP-receptor antagonist patents from Emory University and engineered ANT308-Fc3 to improve on VIPhyb, an earlier peptide antagonist limited by weak potency and short half-life, by fusing the antagonist to an IgG Fc domain for extended stability. The fast-track award combines SBIR Phase I and Phase II objectives, covering T-cell activation assays, antileukemic activity in mouse models, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and biomarker studies intended to inform clinical trial design.
Preclinical studies presented at the 2025 American Society of Hematology meeting by Emory Uni researchers also suggested that VIP signaling functions as an innate immune checkpoint regulating macrophage-mediated phagocytosis in TP53-mutant AML, potentially broadening the immunologic rationale for VIP blockade beyond T-cell activation.