ligufalimab + cetuximab

AK117 + cetuximab is a combination therapy consisting of ligufalimab (AK117), a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD47, and cetuximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Ligufalimab is designed to block the CD47-SIRPα "don't eat me" signaling pathway, which is often overexpressed by tumor cells to evade immune surveillance; by blocking this interaction, ligufalimab enhances macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of cancer cells. Cetuximab inhibits EGFR-mediated downstream signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation and survival, while also promoting antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The combination is being evaluated as a second-line treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) who have failed prior platinum-based chemotherapy or PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, aiming to leverage the synergistic potential of dual innate and adaptive immune activation.

Brand names

Erbitux

Other names

AK117 + cetuximabligufalimab + cetuximab