Nectin Therapeutics, based in Jerusalem, is developing NTX1088, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody against the poliovirus receptor (PVR, also called CD155), which tumours use to suppress the immune system's attack through the DNAM1 pathway. The EIC Accelerator granted €2,499,999 towards a total cost of €3,571,427 for the project, which runs from August 2024 to January 2028, according to CORDIS. Israel is associated with Horizon Europe, so Israeli companies can receive EIC funding.
On 17 June 2026 Nectin presented Phase 1a/1b results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. Of 91 patients treated, NTX1088 was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities, and among 41 evaluable patients on active doses combined with Merck's pembrolizumab (Keytruda), confirmed partial responses were seen in gastric, bladder, lung, head and neck cancers and melanoma, according to PR Newswire. The patients had a median of four prior lines of therapy. The lead investigator at MD Anderson Cancer Center said Phase 2 studies were warranted. The press release did not give a response rate.
Company file
- Legal entity
- Nectin Therapeutics Ltd, Jerusalem
- Lead drug
- NTX1088, anti-PVR (CD155) antibody
- Trial
- NTX-1088-01, KEYNOTE E92, NCT05378425
- Sites
- United States, Israel and Poland
- Investors
- aMoon, Peregrine Ventures, IBF, Integra Holdings, MIF, GIBF, Cancer Focus Fund
- Pipeline
- Immuno-oncology antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates
- EIC funding
- Grant first, €2.5M
Where Nectin Stands Now
The Phase 1 study is active but no longer recruiting, with primary completion estimated for December 2026, according to ClinicalTrials.gov. The EIC project report says the company engaged with the European Medicines Agency through the CTIS system and opened a site at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, according to CORDIS. Nectin's last announced financing was an extension of its Series A to more than $25 million in November 2022, according to BioSpace.
"Based on these findings, further clinical evaluation in Phase 2 studies, including in less heavily pretreated and biomarker-enriched cohorts, is warranted."
Dr. Sarina A. Piha-Paul, MD Anderson Cancer Center, June 2026The Technology: Unblocking a Brake on Immune Cells
Checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab release brakes on immune cells. Nectin describes PVR as a key regulator of the DNAM1 axis and an important driver of tumour-mediated immune suppression, and NTX1088 is designed to block it. Most patients in the trial had already received checkpoint inhibitors. The trial tested eight dose levels from 12 mg to 1,750 mg, and 1,750 mg was chosen for expansion based on pharmacokinetics and target occupancy.
What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows
The project runs until January 2028, so it is too early to judge it. So far it has supported the Phase 1 trial's expansion, including into Europe. In the report's earlier data cut, 38 evaluable combination patients showed one complete response, five partial responses and 24 cases of stable disease, with the longest response lasting 86 weeks.
- Phase 1 dose escalationCompletedDose selected.
- European trial siteOpenedWarsaw.
- Efficacy signalEarlyResponses in Phase 1.
- Phase 2UnverifiedNot yet announced.
The Money
Nectin is privately held. In March 2022 it announced a $5.4 million investment from the Cancer Focus Fund to support the Phase 1 study, and in November 2022 it extended its Series A to more than $25 million. No new round has been announced since, and its accounts are not public.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
How Nectin will fund Phase 2, whether the EIC Fund will invest, what the overall response rate was, and how many patients were treated in Poland are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
The trial enrolled heavily pretreated patients, many of whom had received checkpoint inhibitors before. The EIC's money brought an early-stage trial of a new mechanism to a European cancer centre, giving Polish patients access and European researchers a stake in the data.
What the award promised
A first-in-class antibody to revolutionise cancer immunotherapy.
What the record shows
A well-tolerated drug with early responses in Phase 1.
The Verdict
Early promise
NTX1088 cleared the safety bar and showed activity. Whether it works well enough to matter will only be known after Phase 2.
Nectin Therapeutics and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
