Success Stories
Delivering Precision Cancer Therapy with Next-Generation Technologies
Cancer patients who develop resistance to existing drugs may benefit from innovative therapy that deliver better health outcomes. Thanks to Singapore-based biotech , which leverages cutting-edge technology to develop antibody therapeutics to target proteins produced by cancer cells, cancer patients may have more treatment options in the future.
Hummingbird Bioscience has two therapies in clinical trials: HMBD-001 and HMBD-002. The company’s HMBD-001 antibody targets the HER3 protein to shut-down cancer growth pathways. On the other hand, the company’s HMBD-002 antibody increases the immune response that targets cancer cells. Hummingbird Bioscience also has a deep pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) developed in-house, and out-licensed its first ADC (HMBD-501, now ENV-501) to Endeavor BioMedicines, a US-based biotech, for up to US$430 million. The company’s ADC technology is designed to overcome drug resistance usually seen in ADCs.
In 2015, Dr Piers Ingram, CEO of Hummingbird Bioscience founded the company with Dr Jerome Boyd-Kirkup, Chief Scientific Officer, to address unmet medical needs of cancer patients. Drawn by Singapore’s vibrant biomedical sciences ecosystem, they decided to anchor their business in Singapore.
“There were multiple favourable factors to anchor our business in Singapore,” says Dr Ingram. “A talented workforce, government support for the life sciences sector, and òòò½Íøas a major financial hub serve as a gateway to other countries that invest in biotech.”
Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry has been expanding rapidly since the government launched the Biomedical Sciences Initiative in 2000. Over the years, its commitment to grow the sector has attracted leading scientists and venture capitalists to invest in promising Singapore-based startups.
Dr Ingram recalls challenges in the early days where the startup was looking for funding. However, it soon received two grants from Enterprise òòò½Íøthat were instrumental in helping the business to invest and reach growth milestones.
Starting with under five employees, the startup has about 100 now, with offices in Houston, San Francisco and Australia. To date, Hummingbird Bioscience has raised US$150 million, the latest being a Series C round of US$125 million in 2021.
Dr Ingram explains that another key factor that attracted the company to set up base in òòò½Íøwas the ease of forming partnerships that drive business growth. Recently, the startup started clinical trials for HMBD-001 at the and on squamous non-small cell lung cancers, expanding patients’ access to innovative treatment.
The company has also partnered with Merck KGaA and MSD for clinical trial collaborations: HMBD-001 in combination with cetuximab for squamous non-small cell lung cancer, and HMBD-002 and pembrolizumab for patients with triple negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, respectively.
Hummingbird Bioscience plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in 2025 to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HMBD-802, a dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate that aims to provide an alternative therapy for cancer patients who are resistant to existing drugs.
Keen to form partnerships to grow your business in Singapore?
Hummingbird Bioscience has two therapies in clinical trials: HMBD-001 and HMBD-002. The company’s HMBD-001 antibody targets the HER3 protein to shut-down cancer growth pathways. On the other hand, the company’s HMBD-002 antibody increases the immune response that targets cancer cells. Hummingbird Bioscience also has a deep pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) developed in-house, and out-licensed its first ADC (HMBD-501, now ENV-501) to Endeavor BioMedicines, a US-based biotech, for up to US$430 million. The company’s ADC technology is designed to overcome drug resistance usually seen in ADCs.
In 2015, Dr Piers Ingram, CEO of Hummingbird Bioscience founded the company with Dr Jerome Boyd-Kirkup, Chief Scientific Officer, to address unmet medical needs of cancer patients. Drawn by Singapore’s vibrant biomedical sciences ecosystem, they decided to anchor their business in Singapore.
“There were multiple favourable factors to anchor our business in Singapore,” says Dr Ingram. “A talented workforce, government support for the life sciences sector, and òòò½Íøas a major financial hub serve as a gateway to other countries that invest in biotech.”
Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry has been expanding rapidly since the government launched the Biomedical Sciences Initiative in 2000. Over the years, its commitment to grow the sector has attracted leading scientists and venture capitalists to invest in promising Singapore-based startups.
Dr Ingram recalls challenges in the early days where the startup was looking for funding. However, it soon received two grants from Enterprise òòò½Íøthat were instrumental in helping the business to invest and reach growth milestones.
Starting with under five employees, the startup has about 100 now, with offices in Houston, San Francisco and Australia. To date, Hummingbird Bioscience has raised US$150 million, the latest being a Series C round of US$125 million in 2021.
Dr Ingram explains that another key factor that attracted the company to set up base in òòò½Íøwas the ease of forming partnerships that drive business growth. Recently, the startup started clinical trials for HMBD-001 at the and on squamous non-small cell lung cancers, expanding patients’ access to innovative treatment.
The company has also partnered with Merck KGaA and MSD for clinical trial collaborations: HMBD-001 in combination with cetuximab for squamous non-small cell lung cancer, and HMBD-002 and pembrolizumab for patients with triple negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, respectively.
Hummingbird Bioscience plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in 2025 to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HMBD-802, a dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate that aims to provide an alternative therapy for cancer patients who are resistant to existing drugs.
Keen to form partnerships to grow your business in Singapore?
A*STAR celebrates International Women's Day
From groundbreaking discoveries to cutting-edge research, our researchers are empowering the next generation of female science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) leaders.