Tiumbio confirms international nonproprietary name (INN) for immuno-oncology candidate TU2218 as ‘Tosposertib’

[by Jin, Yu Jeong] Tiumbio announced on November 25 that the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) for its anticancer drug candidate, TU2218 (development code), as ‘Tosposertib.’

The name ‘Tosposertib’ combined the term ‘tospo,’ meaning ‘together,’ with the suffix ‘sertib,’ which denotes an inhibitor of cellular signaling pathways. According to the company, the name reflects its commitment to developing innovative treatments that patients, healthcare professionals, and society can confront and overcome together.

Tosposertib is an oral dual inhibitor that simultaneously targets transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), both of which play key roles in cancer cell growth and metastasis. The company stated that the novel drug candidate was discovered and developed with the objective of improving therapeutic responses to immune-oncology agents such as Keytruda.

Tiumbio is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the combination therapy of Tosposertib and Keytruda in Korea and the United States. The company reported that the study has generated meaningful anticancer efficacy data in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, reinforcing the candidate’s potential as a new treatment option.

"Interest in Tosposertib has increased following the recent presentation of Phase 2 clinical data for head and neck cancer at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) in the United States. We are very honored that our company now has two novel drug substances registered under the INN," said Kim Hun-taek, CEO of Tiumbio. "We are committed to developing Tosposertib into a therapy that can be used in real-world cancer patients, as was achieved with the domestically developed anticancer drug, lazertinib," he added.

Conversely, the WHO grants INNs, which serve as globally recognized and standardized designations for pharmaceutical ingredients or substances, in order to prevent misuse and improve information accessibility and convenience.