Adagene and Incyte dose first patient in Phase 1 combination trial for hard-to-treat colorectal cancer

What's the deal? Adagene announced on 28 October 2026 that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 study evaluating its lead candidate muzastotug (ADG126) in combination with INCA33890, Incyte's investigational bispecific antibody therapy, in patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC). The open-label trial combines dose escalation and expansion and is enrolling third-line patients — those who have already progressed on earlier therapies — with or without liver metastases.

Why it matters: Muzastotug is a "masked" antibody designed to activate cancer-fighting T cells inside the tumour rather than throughout the body, using Adagene's SAFEbody platform. It targets CTLA-4, an immune checkpoint that normally reins in T-cell responses, and carries FDA Fast Track designation. MSS colorectal cancer makes up roughly 85% of colorectal cancers and has historically responded poorly to checkpoint immunotherapies, so combination approaches that bring the tumour's immune environment under control are a key focus for the field. The trial marks the first time the two companies' candidates have been studied together.

Read more: BioSpace, 28 October 2026