Excyte begins clinical trial for YK012 in pMN treatment
Biotech firm Excyte has dosed the first patient in a clinical study of YK012, a T-cell engager therapy targeting primary membranous nephropathy.
Excyte Biopharma has initiated a clinical trial for its drug candidate YK012, a CD19-directed T-cell engager, to treat patients with primary membranous nephropathy (pMN). The study marks the first time this class of immunotherapy has been tested for the autoimmune kidney condition.
pMN affects a significant number of adults globally, with 20% to 30% of cases proving resistant to standard therapies like rituximab. YK012 aims to reset B-cell populations by targeting CD19 while simultaneously engaging T-cells via CD3. Previous trials in hematologic cancers have suggested that the treatment profile offers extended half-life and limited cytokine release compared to existing alternatives.
The trial is currently being conducted in China by researchers from Peking University First Hospital. Excyte is also preparing to file for an investigational new drug (IND) application in the United States, aiming to advance the therapy toward potential global clinical deployment.