Percheron Therapeutics (ASX:PER) has announced that the World Health Organization has selected 'minperstobart' as the proposed international nonproprietary name (PINN) for its investigational cancer therapy HMBD-002.
The Melbourne-based company said the pINN will be published in WHO’s 136th list of Proposed International Nonproprietary Names in January 2027 and is expected to be definitively confirmed around May 2027 after a four-month comment period. Percheron said it will continue to use the HMBD-002 designation until confirmation is received, but will begin adopting the pINN for certain purposes, including clinical trial protocols and scientific publications.
Percheron described HMBD-002 as a novel anti-cancer therapy that targets VISTA, a key component of the immunological response to tumours. The company explained that investigational drug candidates typically begin development with a code number for internal use, and that INNs are selected by WHO, with input from the sponsor, and cannot be trademarked.
"The selection of an INN is always a key waypoint as drug candidates progress towards commercialisation," said Percheron CEO Dr James Garner. "Since we in-licensed HMBD-002 some ten months ago, the team has been working hard to prepare the drug for the next stage of development. Applying for an INN has been one of those many activities, and we are pleased to see that specific piece of work now successfully completed. We are grateful to WHO for their review of our submission and their selection of a proposed INN designation. We look forward to seeing this confirmed in due course."