AKESO (09926) surged nearly 5%, reaching HK$119.9 by the time of writing, with a trading volume of HK$310 million. The company announced via its official WeChat account that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I clinical trial evaluating its self-developed personalized mRNA vaccine AK154—either as monotherapy or in combination with cadonilimab (a PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody) or ivonescimab (a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody)—for postoperative adjuvant treatment of pancreatic cancer.
AK154 marks AKESO's first mRNA drug to enter clinical development, representing a significant breakthrough in the mRNA technology field following the company's established leadership in multi-specific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.
The personalized neoantigen vaccine AK154 is developed using AKESO's mRNA platform. By sequencing patient tumor tissues and employing algorithms to identify high-affinity immunogenic gene mutations, the vaccine is tailored to specific mRNA sequences, potentially reversing the "cold tumor" characteristics of pancreatic cancer. When combined with immune bispecific antibodies, AK154 is expected to exhibit synergistic effects, further enhancing anti-tumor immunity.