HCW Biologics Inc. (the "Company" or "HCW Biologics"), (NASDAQ:HCWB), a U.S.-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformative fusion immunotherapeutics to treat diseases promoted by chronic inflammation, focusing on autoimmune disorders and other inflammatory diseases, cancer and senescence-associated dysplasia, today announced that it has requested a Type B (pre-IND application) meeting with the U.S. FDA to discuss the development and regulatory strategy for its investigational lead product candidate, HCW11-018b, a tetravalent T-cell engager ("TCE") constructed with the Company’s proprietary TRBC drug development platform.  

HCW11-018b is intended to treat solid tumors and is administered by subcutaneous injection. In preclinical studies, it has shown the ability to target tissue factor-expressing cancer cells and activate CD3-positive effector T cells, while simultaneously reducing immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment can limit effector T-cell infiltration and antitumor activity in solid tumors, particularly in gynecologic and pancreatic cancers.