Pre-clinical Specificity and Safety of UC-961, a First-In-Class Monoclonal Antibody Targeting ROR1

Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) is an oncoembryonic antigen. Because of its expression on the cell surface of leukemia cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but not on normal B-cells or other postpartum tissues, ROR1 is an attractive candidate for targeted therapies. UC-961 is a first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody that binds the extracellular domain of ROR1. In this article we outline some of the preclinical studies leading to an investigational new drug designation, enabling clinical studies in patients with CLL.