CPX-016

CPX-016 is a humanized monoclonal antibody developed by Corvus Pharmaceuticals that targets CD73 (5'-nucleotidase). It functions as an allosteric inhibitor, binding to a site distal to the active site to suppress the enzymatic conversion of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) into adenosine. High levels of adenosine in the tumor microenvironment are known to suppress effector T cell function; by blocking this pathway, CPX-016 aims to restore immune activity against tumors. In preclinical studies, CPX-016 was shown to require the formation of higher-order complexes for its inhibitory effect, which distinguishes it from orthosteric inhibitors like CPX-006 (mupadolimab) that compete directly with AMP for the active site. Research presented at AACR 2017 highlighted that CPX-016's allosteric mechanism results in a loss of inhibition at high antibody-to-antigen ratios.