Akeso and INOVIO Partner to Advance Combination Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma
Thursday, March 05, 2026
Akeso and INOVIO have announced a clinical collaboration and supply agreement to evaluate a new combination therapy for glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.
Cadonilimab has been studied in more than 30 clinical trials covering over 20 tumour types. The therapy uses a dual-target mechanism to inhibit both PD-1 and CTLA-4 pathways and has shown promising anti-tumour activity across different patient groups, including those with immunologically “cold” tumours or resistance to other immunotherapy treatments.
INO-5412 is an investigational DNA medicine that integrates INO-5401 and INO-9012 into a single formulation. INO-5401 encodes synthetic antigens targeting hTERT, WT1 and PSMA, which are recognised as important targets in cancer immunotherapy development. INO-9012 encodes IL-12, a molecule that helps activate T-cell immune responses.
INO-5412 combines two components, INO-5401 and the T-cell immune activator INO-9012. When used with checkpoint blockade therapy, the DNA immunotherapy approach is designed to stimulate an immune response against tumour antigens and promote T-cell infiltration into the glioblastoma tumour microenvironment.
The study will investigate cadonilimab, a PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody developed by Akeso, in combination with INO-5412, INOVIO’s DNA immunotherapy candidate.
The combination will be tested as part of the INSIGhT Phase II adaptive platform trial, sponsored by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and conducted with Mass General Brigham Cancer Care. The trial is designed to accelerate the development of new treatment options for GBM. Dosing in the combination study is expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
Cadonilimab has already received marketing approval in China for several indications, including first-line gastric cancer, first-line cervical cancer, and second- or third-line cervical cancer. It is the first approved bispecific antibody for cancer immunotherapy and has demonstrated clinical effectiveness across multiple Phase III trials. The therapy is currently being evaluated in more than 11 Phase III or registration studies, including global programmes for gastric cancer and liver cancer patients who have developed resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Early clinical research has shown encouraging results. In an ongoing Phase II study involving newly diagnosed GBM patients, the combination of INO-5401 and INO-9012 with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor produced strong immune responses that may be associated with improved survival outcomes. The addition of cadonilimab could further strengthen the immune response through its dual checkpoint inhibition targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4.
The collaboration will allow both companies to contribute their respective therapies to the INSIGhT study, while the investigative sponsors will manage the day-to-day clinical operations. The initiative aims to explore a new immunotherapy strategy that could potentially improve treatment options for patients with GBM, a disease that currently has limited effective therapies.
The collaboration is expected to support further investigation of combination immunotherapy approaches aimed at improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma.
Source: prnewswire.com
