Whitehawk Therapeutics (WHWK) Stifel 2026 Targeted Oncology Virtual Forum summary

Platform technology and financial position

• Raised $87.5 million in recent financing, bringing cash on hand to over $200 million and extending runway into late 2028.

• All clinical assets use the CPT-113 linker payload and carbon-bridge cysteine rebridging for enhanced ADC stability.

• Technology in-licensed from Hangzhou DAC and WuXi, with independent validation from partners like Johnson & Johnson.

• CPT-113 features a dual-chain linker for dual payloads, aiming for higher stability and potency.

Clinical pipeline and development strategy

• Three ADC assets: two in ongoing dose escalation trials, third filing planned later this year.

• PTK7 selected as first target due to high expression in 70% of cancers and minimal healthy tissue expression.

• Dose escalation for HWK-007 started at active dose range, with rapid enrollment and focus on efficacy benchmarks.

• Phase I targets non-small cell lung, endometrial, and platinum-resistant ovarian cancers, with explicit efficacy benchmarks (≥50% ORR for gynecological, 35–40% for lung).

• Expansion planned into additional indications like head and neck, colorectal, and GI cancers if initial results are positive.

Target biology and differentiation

• MUC16 ADC targets highly expressed antigen in ovarian and endometrial cancers, overcoming prior antigen sink issues by targeting an epitope below the CA125 cleavage site.

• Preclinical data suggest improved potency and tolerability versus prior Genentech MMAE-based programs, aiming for 50–60%+ ORR.

• Platform uses a more polar Topo1 payload (CPT-113), designed to reduce hematological toxicity while maintaining potency.