China's First Domestic Anti-CTLA-4 Monoclonal Antibody, Innovent's TABOSUN® (Ipilimumab N01 Injection) Received NMPA Approval
- TABOSUN® (ipilimumab N01 injection) has been approved in combination with TYVYT® (sintilimab injection) for the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with stage IIB-III resectable microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) colon cancer.
- The TABOSUN®and TYVYT® combination therapy significantly improved pathological complete response (pCR) rates and enabled most patients to avoid the burden of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.
- This therapy is the first and only dual-IO regimen approved globally for neoadjuvant treatment of colon cancer[i], filling a critical gap in neoadjuvant treatment of colon cancer and benefiting more patients with MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer.
SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China,
Resectable MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer urgently requires effective neoadjuvant therapies to improve prognosis
MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer accounts for around 15% of all resectable colon cancer cases[ii]. Due to its unique biological characteristics, this class of tumor shows limited sensitivity to chemotherapy and generally responds poorly[iii]. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated significant efficacy in advanced MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer, but a gap remains in the neoadjuvant setting. For locally advanced MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer, the current standard of care is direct surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Under this regimen, approximately 10%-30% of patients experience disease recurrence or metastasis after surgery, while chemotherapy-related toxicities may negatively affect quality of life[iv]. Thus in the neoadjuvant setting, there remains an urgent need for more effective therapies to improve outcomes for patients with locally advanced MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer.
The world ' s first dual-IO neoadjuvant therapy: TABOSUN ® (ipilimumab N01 injection) combined with TYVYT ® (sintilimab injection) markedly enhances pathological complete response rates
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4 has transformed cancer treatment. The combination of DABOSUN® (ipilimumab N01 injection) and TYVYT® (sintilimab injection) as neoadjuvant therapy can significantly improve pathological complete response(pCR) rates and allow the majority of patients to avoid adjuvant chemotherapy.
Previously, results from a randomized, controlled Phase 1b trial evaluating ipilimumab N01 plus sintilimab as neoadjuvant treatment for MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer were published in the top-tier journal Cancer Cell[i].
- As of
June 17, 2025 , 101 patients were enrolled and randomized to receive ipilimumab N01 plus sintilimab (n=52) or sintilimab alone (n=49). - In the per-protocol population, the pCR rate in the ipilimumab N01-plus-sintilimab arm was significantly higher than in the sintilimab-alone arm (80.0% vs 47.7%, p=0.0007).
- With median follow-up of 21.4 months, no patient experienced disease recurrence.
Approval is based on results from the randomized, controlled, multicenter, pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial (NeoShot, NCT05890742), which evaluated the safety and efficacy of ipilimumab N01 combined with sintilimab as neoadjuvant therapy compared with direct radical surgery for MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer. The primary endpoints are pCR rate and event-free survival (EFS). Interim analysis by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) confirmed that the NeoShot trial met its primary endpoint.
- As of
November 28, 2024 , among the first 50 patients in the treatment arm, 41 achieved pathological complete response after neoadjuvant treatment, yielding a pCR rate of 82%. - Neoadjuvant treatment with ipilimumab N01 combined with sintilimab did not significantly increase safety risks compared with direct surgery.
Detailed results will be presented at future academic conferences or published in academic journals.
The Principal Investigator of the NeoShot study, Academician of the
Dr.
About Ipilimumab N01
Ipilimumab N01 (R&D code: IBI310) is a fully human monoclonal antibody injection independently developed by Innovent. Ipilimumab N01 specifically binds cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), thereby blocking CTLA-4-mediated inhibition of T cell activity, promoting T cell activation and proliferation, improving tumor immune response, and achieving anti-tumor effects. [vi]
The NDA for ipilimumab N01 in combination with sintilimab as neoadjuvant treatment for stage IIB-III resectable microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colon cancer has recently been approved by the NMPA.
About Sintilimab
Sintilimab, marketed as TYVYT® (sintilimab injection) in
In
- For the treatment of relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin's lymphoma after two lines or later of systemic chemotherapy;
- For the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer lacking EGFR or ALK driver gene mutations;
- For the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer who progressed after EGFR-TKI therapy;
- For the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer;
- For the first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma with no prior systematic treatment;
- For the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma;
- For the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma; and
- In combination with fruquintinib for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial cancer with pMMR tumors that have failed prior systemic therapy and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation.
The NDA for sintilimab's ninth indication, in combination with ipilimumab N01 as neoadjuvant treatment for stage IIB-III resectable MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer is recently approved by the NMPA.
The NDA for sintilimab's tenth indication, in combination with fruquintinib for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who previously failed systematic treatment, has been accepted by the
In addition, two clinical studies of sintilimab have met their primary endpoints:
- Phase 2 study of sintilimab monotherapy as second-line treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; and
- Phase 3 study of sintilimab monotherapy as second-line treatment for squamous non-small cell lung cancer with disease progression following platinum-based chemotherapy.
About Innovent
Innovent is a leading biopharmaceutical company founded in 2011 with the mission to empower patients worldwide with affordable, high-quality biopharmaceuticals. The company discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes innovative medicines that target some of the most intractable diseases. Its pioneering therapies treat cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic, autoimmune and eye diseases. Innovent has launched 18 products in the market. It has 4 assets in Phase 3 or pivotal clinical trials and 15 more molecules in early clinical stage. Innovent partners with over 30 global healthcare companies, including Lilly, Sanofi, Incyte, LG Chem and
Guided by the motto, "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action" Innovent maintains the highest standard of industry practices and works collaboratively to advance the biopharmaceutical industry so that first-rate pharmaceutical drugs can become widely accessible. For more information, visit www.innoventbio.com, or follow Innovent on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: Innovent does not recommend any off-label usage.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Innovent, are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. Innovent does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly.
These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of Innovent with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond Innovent's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, Innovent's competitive environment and political, economic, legal and social conditions.
Reference:
|
i. Wang F,et al. Neoadjuvant treatment of IBI310 plus sintilimab in locally advanced MSI-H/dMMR colon cancer: A randomized phase 1b study. Cancer Cell. 2025 Oct 2:S1535-6108(25)00396-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.09.004. |
|
ii. Gutierrez C, et al. The Prevalence and Prognosis of Microsatellite Instability-High/Mismatch Repair-Deficient Colorectal Adenocarcinomas in |
|
iii. Sargent DJ, et al. Defective mismatch repair as a predictive marker for lack of efficacy of fluorouracil-based adjuvant therapy in colon cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(20):3219-3226. doi:10.1200/JCO.2009.27.1825 |
|
iv. André T, et al. Adjuvant Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin in |
|
v. Morton D, et al; |
|
vi. Wolchok JD, Saenger Y. The mechanism of anti-CTLA-4 activity and the negative regulation of T-cell activation. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 4:2-9. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.13-S4-2 |
|
vii. Wang J, et al. Durable blockade of PD-1 signaling links preclinical efficacy of sintilimab to its clinical benefit. mAbs 2019;11(8): 1443-1451. doi:10.1080/19420862.2019.1654303 |
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinas-first-domestic-anti-ctla-4-monoclonal-antibody-innovents-tabosun-ipilimumab-n01-injection-received-nmpa-approval-302649444.html
SOURCE