Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Initiates Enrollment in a Phase 1/2 Study of MM-111, a Bispecific Antibody ...( Merrimack Ph...),Health

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals' second of five oncology pipeline candidates, MM-111, a bispecific antibody, has entered clinical development. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that the bispecific approach shows antitumor activity in a wide range of tumor types. The current Phase 1/2 study will evaluate the human safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of MM-111. MM-111 is the first bispecific antibody bindng two different receptors on the same cell to enter clinical development.

Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) July 3, 2009 -- Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the first patient has received an initial dose in a Phase 1/2 clinical study of the Company's second oncology pipeline candidate, MM-111, a bispecific antibody fusion protein designed to target cancer cells that are characterized by overexpression or amplification of ErbB2 (also known as HER2). MM-111 is the first bispecific antibody binding two different receptors on the same cell to enter clinical development.

"MM-111 is a novel biologic with a unique approach to treating ErbB2 amplification in tumors," said Ulrik B. Nielsen, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Merrimack. "We used a systems biology approach, integrating computational modeling, experimentation and protein engineering to optimize this therapeutic to address the complex signali
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