Araris Biotech AG, a company advancing a differentiated pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”) therapies, and Taiho Oncology, Inc., a company developing and commercializing novel treatments for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, both members of the Taiho group, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of ARC-02, a CD79b-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

ARC-02 selectively binds CD79b-positive B-cells and delivers monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), a clinically validated anti-cancer payload, directly to tumor cells. It is the first clinical candidate generated using Araris’ proprietary AraLinQ® ADC technology and Arastatin™ linker-payload, designed for precise intracellular release and minimization of impact on healthy tissue.

“Dosing the first patient with ARC-02 marks a pivotal milestone for Araris as we enter the clinic and begin translating our innovative ADC platform into potential benefits for patients,” said Philipp Spycher, PhD, CSO and scientific founder of Araris.

“While ARC-02 is initially being developed for hematological malignancies, the differentiated safety profile observed in preclinical studies may also support its broader application across additional disease indications, including autoimmune diseases,” said Isabella Attinger-Toller, PhD, CTO and co-founder of Araris.

“This milestone represents the first human experience with the novel Araris platform and marks Taiho’s expansion into the clinical development of ADCs for oncology,” said Harold Keer, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Taiho Oncology. “We look forward to results from this trial and advancing other agents from Araris into the clinic.”