Glenmark Pharma arm’s new cancer drug shows promise for relapsed multiple myeloma treatment

Ichnos Glenmark Innovation (IGI), a biotechnology company focused on cancer treatments, has announced positive results from an early-stage global study of its investigational drug for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma — a  type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow.

IGI is a joint innovation arm of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Ichnos Sciences.

The results were shared at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2025, one of the world’s largest cancer conferences. The trial, called TRIgnite-1, tested ISB 2001 — a first-of-its-kind trispecific antibody designed to target cancer cells and activate the immune system — in 35 patients who had already gone through an average of six earlier treatments.

The drug showed an overall response rate of 79% in patients who received the recommended dose, meaning nearly four out of five patients saw their cancer shrink. One in three patients achieved a complete or near-complete response. Importantly, these results were seen even in patients who had previously tried and failed other advanced treatments, such as CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific antibodies.

Doctors also reported that the side effects were manageable. Most patients experienced mild immune-related reactions during the first dose, but severe infections or neurological side effects were rare. None had to stop treatment due to safety concerns.

Professor Hang Quach, a senior haematologist from the University of Melbourne and one of the study investigators, said the drug showed “remarkable anti-myeloma activity” in a patient group that typically has few options left.

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already granted ISB 2001 fast track status, recognising its potential to address an urgent medical need. The study is continuing in its next phase to determine the best dose and schedule for future trials, with global sites across the US, Australia and soon, Europe.

If proven successful in later stages, ISB 2001 could represent a major step forward for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, a group for whom effective treatments are still limited.