# HBM9378/WIN378, an Ultra-Long-Acting Antibody Targeting TSLP, Achieves Positive Phase 2 Results in Asthma and Initiates Phase 3 Study

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/hbm9378-win378-an-ultra-long-acting-antibody-targeting-tslp-achieves-positive-phase-2-results-in-asthma-and-initiates-phase-3-study
- Published: 2026-09-08T19:17:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

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 ◦ _The POLARIS-1 study enrolled 147 patients with uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe
   asthma, and the interim analysis was conducted on the first 98 patients. The 
   analysis demonstrated a half-life of up to 75 days, with clinical effects consistent
   with twice-yearly dosing. _
 ◦ _HBM9378/WIN378 produced significant and sustained effects on FEV___(1)__ (up
   to 174 mL mean increase, placebo-adjusted mean increases up to +256 mL, p=0.033),
   FeNO and blood eosinophils, key biomarkers that correlate with asthma exacerbations.
   These effects were rapid and sustained through Week 24 after a single dose of
   HBM9378/WIN378._
 ◦ _HBM9378/WIN378 was well tolerated with favorable safety results — there were
   no treatment-related serious adverse events, withdrawals, or discontinuations;
   adverse events were balanced between active arms and placebo, with low rates 
   of injection site reactions and anti-drug antibodies. _
 ◦ _The first Phase 3 study of HBM9378/WIN378 has been initiated evaluating two 
   twice-yearly doses. A second Phase 3 trial is planned to begin in the first half
   of 2027._

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SHANGHAI, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/—
Harbour BioMed ("HBM" or the "Company"; HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical
company committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics
in immunology, oncology, and other areas, today announced that its partner, Windward
Bio, has reported positive interim results from the Phase 2 portion of the POLARIS-
1 clinical trial, which evaluates twice-yearly dosing of HBM9378/WIN378 in asthma.

HBM9378/WIN378 is a novel fully human, ultra-long-acting monoclonal antibody with
a unique binding mode to inhibit thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). It was engineered
for improved potency, extended half-life and silenced effector function. It is the
only known investigational drug that blocks TSLP signaling by binding to two different
sites on TSLP, interfering with the binding of TSLP to both of its co-receptors 
on the cell surface of epithelial cells.

POLARIS-1 is an operationally seamless, global Phase 2/3 study. The Phase 2 portion
of the study is a 48-week, randomized, double-blind study evaluating three dose 
levels of HBM9378/WIN378 against placebo. It is designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics,
safety, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamic activity of HBM9378/WIN378 in patients
with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma. The study also evaluates the effects
of HBM9378/WIN378 on lung function and biomarkers of airway inflammation and informed
dose selection for Phase 3 development. The Phase 2 portion of the study enrolled
a total of 147 patients, exceeding the initial enrollment target of 120 patients,
with the interim analysis conducted on the first 98 patients.

The interim analysis demonstrated the following at Week 24 after a single dose of
HBM9378/WIN378:

 ◦ Dose-dependent mean increases in FEV_(1) of up to 174 mL (placebo-adjusted mean
   increase up to 256 mL, p=0.033).
 ◦ Dose-dependent mean reductions in FeNO of up to 24 ppb (or -43% change, p=0.006).
 ◦ Reductions in mean blood eosinophil count (EOS) of up to 200 cells/µL (or -51%
   change, p<0.0001).
 ◦ Near maximal effects seen as early as Week 2 and sustained through Week 24.

Notes: FEV_(1) (forced expiratory volume in one second) is a key measure of lung
function. FeNO (fractional exhaled nitric oxide) and EOS are key markers of inflammation
that correlate with exacerbations.

HBM9378/WIN378 was well tolerated with favorable safety results, and there were 
no treatment-related serious adverse events, withdrawals, or discontinuations observed
as of the cut-off date. Adverse events were balanced between active arms and placebo.
Less than 1% of participants experienced injection site reactions, and 2% developed
anti-drug antibodies (ADAs), a measure of immunogenicity. ADAs had no impact on 
the pharmacology of HBM9378/WIN378. The results of the interim analysis and population
pharmacokinetic modeling support the potential of twice-yearly dosing of HBM9378/
WIN378.

"We are very encouraged by the positive Phase 2 results of HBM9378/WIN378 and its
continued progression into Phase 3 development," said Dr. Jingsong Wang, Founder,
Chairman and CEO of Harbour BioMed. "HBM9378/WIN378 is an ultra-long-acting fully
human monoclonal antibody against TSLP generated from our H2L2 Harbour Mice^(®) 
platform. The significant and sustained improvements in lung function and airway
inflammation observed with a single dose, together with its potential for twice-
yearly dosing, further reinforce the therapeutic potential of this molecule. We 
are fully confident in the clinical potential of this novel biotherapeutic."

Two twice-yearly doses have been selected for the Phase 3 portion of POLARIS-1, 
which is designed to evaluate the effect of HBM9378/WIN378 on annualized asthma 
exacerbation rate and other key efficacy measures in patients with severe asthma.
The Phase 3 portion of the study has been initiated by Windward Bio who plans to
begin a second Phase 3 study, POLARIS-2, in the first half of 2027. Data from the
Phase 2 portion of POLARIS-1 will be presented at an upcoming medical congress.

**About POLARIS-1 Study**

POLARIS-1 (NCT07120503) is an operationally seamless, global Phase 2/3 study of 
HBM9378/WIN378 in adults with uncontrolled asthma conducted by Windward Bio. The
Phase 2 portion is a randomized, double-blind study evaluating three dose levels
of HBM9378/WIN378 administered subcutaneously against placebo, with primary objectives
of characterizing pharmacokinetics, safety, immunogenicity and pharmacodynamic activity,
as well as informing dose selection for Phase 3. The Phase 3 portion is evaluating
two twice-yearly doses of HBM9378/WIN378 against placebo, with a primary endpoint
of annualized asthma exacerbation rate in patients with severe asthma.

**About HBM9378/WIN378**

HBM9378/WIN378 is a novel fully human, ultra-long-acting monoclonal antibody with
a unique binding mode to inhibit thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). This clinically
validated target plays a key role in the development and progression of a wide array
of immunological diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(
COPD), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and eosinophilic esophagitis. HBM9378/
WIN378 was engineered for improved potency, extended half-life and silenced effector
function. It is the only known investigational drug that blocks TSLP signaling by
binding to two different sites on TSLP, interfering with the binding of TSLP to 
both of its co-receptors on the cell surface of epithelial cells. Phase 2 interim
results support the potential of twice-yearly dosing. HBM9378/WIN378 produced significant,
sustained and dose-dependent increases in FEV_(1), a measure of lung function, together
with significant and sustained reductions in FeNO and blood eosinophils — key markers
that correlate with asthma exacerbations. HBM9378/WIN378 is being evaluated in the
global Phase 2/3 POLARIS-1 study in asthma and the Phase 2 SIRIUS study in COPD,
with a second pivotal Phase 3 asthma trial, POLARIS-2, planned to begin in the first
half of 2027. HBM9378/WIN378 (also known as SKB378) started as a co-development 
project jointly conducted by Harbour BioMed and Kelun-Biotech, with both parties
equally sharing global rights. Windward Bio licensed the global rights (excluding
Greater China and several Southeast and West Asian countries) for this molecule 
from Harbour BioMed (also known as HBM9378) and Kelun-Biotech (also known as SKB378).

**About Harbour BioMed**

Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to 
the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics in immunology, oncology
and other areas. The Company is building a robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline
through internal R&D capability, strategic global collaborations in co-discovery
and co-development, and selective acquisitions.

Our proprietary antibody technology platform, Harbour Mice^(®), generates fully 
human monoclonal antibodies in both the conventional two heavy and two light chain(
H2L2) format and the heavy chain-only (HCAb) format. Building upon HCAb antibodies,
the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE^(®)) bispecific antibody technology enables
tumor-killing effects that traditional combination therapies cannot achieve. The
HCAb-based Antibody Plus technology (HCAb PLUS™) provides comprehensive modality
solutions for the development of innovative multi-specific medicines in different
disease areas. Additionally, building upon the Harbour Mice^(®) platform, Harbour
BioMed launched its first fully human Generative AI HCAb Model powered by its Hu-
mAtrIx™ AI platform, accelerating the development of innovative therapies.

By integrating Harbour Mice^(®), HBICE^(®), HCAb PLUS™, a single B-cell cloning 
platform and AI technologies, Harbour BioMed has built a highly efficient and distinctive
antibody discovery engine for developing next-generation therapeutic antibodies.
For more information, please visit [www.harbourbiomed.com](http://www.harbourbiomed.com/).

**About Windward Bio **

Windward Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company with deep discovery, development
and commercial expertise, developing ultra-long-acting antibodies for patients with
serious respiratory and dermatologic diseases, including asthma, COPD, and atopic
dermatitis. The Company is advancing a pipeline of potentially differentiated biologics
targeting clinically validated molecular pathways, with the goal of improving clinical
outcomes while reducing treatment burden through less frequent dosing. Windward 
Bio’s lead program is WIN378, a novel fully human monoclonal antibody engineered
for improved potency, extended half-life and silenced effector function, targeting
TSLP. WIN378 is in clinical development for asthma and COPD. The Company’s second
program is WIN027, an ultra-long-acting, humanized bi-specific antibody targeting
TSLP and IL-13 in development for respiratory and dermatologic diseases. Windward
Bio was founded in 2024 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, with operations
in the United States. For more information, visit [www.windwardbio.com](https://www.windwardbio.com/).

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