Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: APVO) has received a $1.5 million non-dilutive research grant from the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund to support development of APVO451, a trispecific antibody-like immunotherapy candidate targeting solid tumors, according to a company statement.

The grant, awarded under the CARE Fund's Implementation and Outcomes Research program, will fund investigational new drug (IND)-enabling activities for APVO451, including preclinical studies. The CARE Fund supports cancer research conducted by public and private entities in Washington State.

APVO451 is designed to simultaneously target nectin-4, a tumor-associated marker expressed in multiple solid tumors, while activating CD40 on antigen-presenting cells and engaging CD3 on T-cells. Aptevo says the molecule is designed so that its CD3 and CD40 activity depends on binding to nectin-4, intended to concentrate immune activation within the tumor microenvironment.

Michelle Nelson, Ph.D., Senior Director at Aptevo and principal investigator of the study, said the award "supports the generation of additional APVO451 preclinical data to further evaluate how its tumor-directed trispecific design may leverage CD40-mediated immune activation while bringing together T-cell engagement in a coordinated anti-tumor response."

Aptevo said it expects to reach development candidate selection for APVO451 by year-end 2026, with IND-enabling studies targeted to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

Mary Janatpour, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Aptevo, said APVO451 "is designed to activate both antigen-presenting cells and T cells within the tumor microenvironment" through its combination of nectin-4-targeting with CD40 and CD3 engagement.

APVO451 incorporates the same CRIS-7-derived CD3 binding domain used in mipletamig, Aptevo's lead clinical program. Seattle-based Aptevo is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on bispecific and trispecific immunotherapies for cancer treatment.