The Phase 1/2a clinical trial in the United Kingdom is being sponsored and managed by CRUK's Centre for Drug Development and led by Chief Investigator, Professor Johann De Bono at the Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, London. The Phase 1a stage of the trial is currently enrolling multiple solid tumor cancer patients resistant to approved therapies, and is aimed at identifying a recommended Phase 2 dose for further evaluation.

"We decided to exercise the option at this time due to our enthusiasm for the promising data emerging from the ongoing Phase 1a study. We look forward to accelerating the opening of multiple Hummingbird-sponsored Phase 1b/2 studies. Our CRUK collaboration has been pivotal for the development of HMBD-001 and brings us one step closer to providing a precision therapy for patients with HER3-expressing cancers," said Piers Ingram, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Hummingbird Bioscience.

"Hummingbird Bio's decision to exercise a licensing option for HMBD-001, early in the clinical development process, speaks to the urgency needed to bring promising therapeutic advances to patients," explained Nigel Blackburn, Director of the Cancer Research UK's Centre for Drug Development. "We are pleased to have partnered with Hummingbird Bioscience to provide the clinical trial expertise and funding support needed to help navigate HMBD-001 through the high-risk, early-stages of therapeutic development."

Based on the FIH dose escalation data, Hummingbird Bioscience plans to initiate multiple studies in biomarker-selected populations during the second half of 2023. In parallel, CRUK will continue the ongoing Phase 1/2a study by completing the ongoing dose escalation portion, followed by a dose expansion study in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (in combination with anti-androgen therapy) later this year.