The InnoBM has two technology platforms, including cancer immunotherapy platform and protein delivery platform, both of which are originated from Dr. Zhuang Liu’s research team.

Cancer Immunotherapy:

Cancer immunotherapy is able to activate the patient’s own immune systems to recognize and attack tumor cells. In the past decade, cancer immunotherapy has attracted tremendous attentions as a revolutionary type of cancer therapeutic strategies. For instance, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has demonstrated encouraging clinical results by producing durable clinical responses to a proportion of patients even with late-stage cancers. Antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) and its ligand (anti-PDL1) have already been widely used in the clinic. However, the clinical response rate of ICB therapy remains to be far from satisfactory, as a significant proportion of patients are not responsive. 

In order to achieve the most effective cancer immunotherapy, there are several critical steps to be realized. The step one is to have sufficient tumor antigens, either by artificial synthesis or by in situ exposure. Next, the antigens should be processed by antigen presenting cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells (DCs), which could then present those antigens to effective T cells (e.g. CD8+ cytotoxic T cells). At last, effective T cells should be able to efficiently infiltrate into tumors and attack tumor cells, without being disarmed in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment via different mechanisms. 

In InnoBM, our strategy is to address the above three steps with our unique platform technology. One first pipeline (BM201) is to achieve persistent immune activation. Thereafter, our followed-up pipelines (BM101/BM221) could simultaneously enable antigen exposure and immune activation. Moreover, our latest pipeline based on our very recent scientific findings (BM501) is to realize antigen exposure, immune activation and tumor microenvironment modulation by one drug. Our technologies would realize systemic tumor-specific immune responses (in situ tumor vaccination) via local drug administration. Another pipeline (BM601) is biodegradable microspheres being capable of modulating tumor microenvironment to enhance transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Our novel therapeutics could be used alone, or synergize with immunotherapeutics currently used in clinic, to achieve the optimal therapeutic outcome.