Percheron Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:PER, OTC:PERCF) has secured a proposed international nonproprietary name (pINN) from the World Health Organization for its investigational cancer therapy HMBD-002, another milestone as the company prepares the anti-VISTA immunotherapy for phase II development.
The WHO has selected the name “minperstobart” for the therapy, which Percheron said would gradually begin appearing in clinical trial protocols, scientific publications and other communications ahead of formal confirmation expected in 2027.
Chief executive Dr James Garner said the naming decision marked an important step as the company continued advancing the therapy towards later-stage development and eventual commercialisation.
“The selection of an INN is always a key waypoint as drug candidates progress towards commercialisation,” Garner said.
“Since we in-licenced HMBD-002 some 10 months ago, the team has been working hard to prepare the drug for the next stage of development,” he added. “Applying for an INN has been one of those many activities, and we are pleased to see that specific piece of work now successfully completed.”
Preparing for phase II development
HMBD-002 targets VISTA, an immune checkpoint regulator increasingly being explored as a next-generation immuno-oncology pathway beyond more established PD-1 and CTLA-4 targets.
Percheron acquired rights to the therapy from US-based Hummingbird Bioscience last year and has since been preparing the asset for phase II development after reporting phase I data showing the therapy was generally safe and well tolerated in patients with advanced cancers.
The company expects to commence a new clinical trial for HMBD-002 in the second half of calendar 2026.
Earlier this month, Percheron raised A$2.2 million to support ongoing development work and preparations for the next stage of clinical testing.
Percheron said the proposed name “minperstobart” incorporates phonemes referencing both Hummingbird and Percheron, reflecting the roles each company has played in the therapy’s development.
WHO naming process
International nonproprietary names are globally recognised generic names assigned to pharmaceutical substances and are typically introduced around the time therapies enter phase II development.
Percheron said the proposed name is expected to be published by the WHO in January 2027 before undergoing a four-month consultation process ahead of formal confirmation around May 2027.
The company noted that while drug developers can make recommendations during the naming process, final responsibility for selecting INNs rests with the WHO under strict global naming guidelines designed to avoid confusion between medicines.
Percheron also highlighted that the proposed suffix differs from the traditional “-mab” ending historically associated with monoclonal antibodies, reflecting more recent WHO naming practices for newer biologic therapies.
Commercial brand naming will come later if the therapy eventually receives regulatory approval, with Percheron yet to determine a marketed product name for HMBD-002.
“We are grateful to WHO for their review of our submission and their selection of a proposed INN designation,” Garner said. “We look forward to seeing this confirmed in due course.”