HanchorBio and Aston Sci Collaborate on Next-Gen Immunotherapy

TAIPEI and SHANGHAI and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- HanchorBio Inc., a global clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Taipei, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area, has entered into a strategic research collaboration with Aston Sci, Inc., a South Korean clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The partnership aims to unlock the potential of next-generation immunotherapy by combining HanchorBio's HCB101, an engineered SIRPα, IgG4 Fc fusion protein, with Aston Sci's AST-301, a HER2-directed DNA vaccine currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.

HCB101 is designed to block the CD47, SIRPα "don't eat me" signal, thereby reactivating macrophage phagocytosis while minimizing red blood cell toxicity. This mechanism is intended to enhance macrophage-mediated antitumor immunity. HCB101 is currently being evaluated in ongoing Phase 1 monotherapy (NCT05892718) and Phase 1b/2a combination (NCT06771622) clinical studies. Both HCB101 and AST-301 have received U.S. FDA Orphan Drug Designation for gastric cancer, establishing a validated regulatory foundation for future joint clinical development.

The collaboration will initially evaluate HCB101 alongside AST-301, a HER2-directed DNA vaccine in Phase 2 clinical development for breast and gastric cancers. The companies will also explore combinations involving an investigational PD-L1 therapeutic vaccine, extending the collaboration across distinct vaccine modalities and immune mechanisms. The strategic partnership aims to integrate vaccine-driven adaptive T-cell priming with macrophage-driven innate tumor clearance, followed by antigen presentation that de novo activates additional tumor-reactive T-cell clones.

The initial translational research will combine HCB101 with AST-301, measuring antitumor efficacy, macrophage reactivation, T-cell kinetics, and epitope spreading beyond HER2. Follow-on studies will explore Aston Sci's investigational PD-L1 cancer vaccine. The collaboration emphasizes rapid mechanistic validation to support future clinical co-development, targeting HER2-expressing gastric, gastroesophageal junction, breast, and colorectal cancers. The strategic focus is on consolidation or maintenance settings to achieve chemotherapy-sparing, long-term tumor control.

Executive leadership from both HanchorBio and Aston Sci will attend BIO-Europe 2026 in Cologne, Germany, to present the scientific rationale behind the combination and engage with potential global pharmaceutical partners and investors on next-generation immunotherapy and future strategic collaboration opportunities.