Japanese biopharmaceutical company PeptiDream (TYO:4587) has achieved a key milestone after Swiss drugmaker Novartis initiated a Phase 1 clinical study for a cancer treatment developed under their 2019 partnership.
The trial will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two experimental drugs, one for imaging and one for therapy-targeting HER2-positive, and other advanced cancers, including breast, lung, stomach, and bladder cancers.
The study is divided into two parts: the first will test different doses to find the right level for further testing, while the second will assess safety and early signs of effectiveness at the chosen dose, according to a Tokyo bourse filing on Wednesday.
This marks the second program from the PeptiDream-Novartis collaboration to reach human trials.
The trial's start also triggered an undisclosed milestone payment from Novartis to PeptiDream, which will be recorded in the company's third-quarter earnings.