Affinity-tunable antibody-drug conjugate for high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Official title: Affinity-tunable Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) against High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Funded at Mabswitch, INC. · NIH-11405623 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new antibody-drug therapy tailored to target a common ovarian cancer marker is being developed for patients whose cancer has stopped responding to platinum-based treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mabswitch, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Van Nuys, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $399,992 |
| NIH project number | 1R43CA314526-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11405623 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer expressing MUC16/CA-125 who may benefit from antibody-drug conjugate therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors lack MUC16/CA-125 expression or who cannot tolerate antibody-drug conjugates may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing a special antibody-drug conjugate that can adapt its binding to a tumor marker called MUC16, which is present in most high-grade serous ovarian cancers. The project aims to overcome barriers like the drug getting trapped outside tumors and toxic side effects by using a ligand-inducible design. If successful, this approach could provide a new option for patients who have limited treatments left and may extend the time before the cancer progresses. The work involves preclinical testing in models that simulate human disease to optimize safety and effectiveness before moving toward clinical studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer could have a new, targeted treatment option that may improve response and survival.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ADC approaches in ovarian cancer showed promise but faced barriers; this project introduces a ligand-inducible design to potentially overcome those challenges.
Where this research is happening
-
Mabswitch, INC.
Van Nuys, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Onakunle, Yemi — Mabswitch, INC.
- Study coordinator: Onakunle, Yemi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding the experience of ovarian cancer after diagnosis to improve survivorship
This NIH grant funds a mixed-methods study to better understand physical and emotional challenges faced by ovarian cancer survivors and how supportive care can help them live better after diagnosis.
-
Targeting quiescent ovarian cancer cells to overcome chemotherapy resistance
A study focusing on why some ovarian cancer cells pause dividing and resist chemotherapy, with the goal of finding new treatment targets for relapsed disease.
-
Photodynamic lipids to boost chemotherapy for metastatic ovarian cancer
A patient-friendly approach tests a light-activated method to make ovarian cancer metastases more sensitive to chemotherapy.
-
Integrated framework to validate and quantify proteoforms in patient-derived ovarian cancer cells
A collaboration will combine advanced top-down proteomics with a new computational method to precisely identify and measure intact proteoforms in tiny samples from ovarian cancer cells.
-
Overcoming platinum resistance in ovarian cancer: finding biomarkers and new targets
Researchers are looking for new biomarkers and targets to help prevent or overcome platinum resistance in high‑risk ovarian cancer so patients have better chances at long-term control.
-
Alternative NF-kB activation after chemotherapy in ovarian cancer
This grant studies how ovarian cancer might come back after chemotherapy by looking at specific signaling pathways in cancer cells and the tumor environment.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.