Company Description
Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRBP) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and obesity. According to company disclosures, Corbus describes itself as an oncology and obesity company with a diversified portfolio that aims to help people defeat serious illness by applying scientific approaches to well‑understood biological pathways. The company is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and its common stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol CRBP.
Corbus’ business centers on the research and clinical development of drug candidates for solid tumors and chronic obesity management. As a clinical-stage company, it does not describe commercialized products in the provided materials; instead, it highlights an internal pipeline of investigational therapies that are being evaluated in human studies. The company’s public communications emphasize the use of targeted mechanisms such as antibody-drug conjugates, monoclonal antibodies, and small-molecule receptor inverse agonists.
Oncology pipeline
The company’s oncology work is anchored by CRB-701, described in multiple press releases as a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Nectin-4. Corbus states that CRB-701 (also referenced as SYS6002) contains a site-specific, cleavable linker and a homogenous drug-antibody ratio of 2, using monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) as the cytotoxic payload. Nectin-4 is described as a clinically validated tumor-associated antigen in urothelial cancer, and Corbus is evaluating CRB-701 in patients with advanced solid tumors known to be associated with high Nectin-4 expression.
In its public updates, Corbus reports that CRB-701 is being studied in a multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical trial (NCT06265727) conducted in the United States and Europe. The study is enrolling patients primarily with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and cervical cancer, as well as metastatic urothelial cancer and other solid tumors during dose escalation. Company communications describe the trial as an “all comers” design, without enrollment restrictions based on Nectin-4, PD(L)-1, or HPV status, and involving heavily pretreated patients with multiple prior lines of therapy.
Corbus has disclosed response and safety data for CRB-701 from this Phase 1/2 program, including objective response rates and disease control rates in HNSCC, cervical cancer, and metastatic urothelial cancer at specific dose levels. The company also reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to CRB-701 for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic HNSCC previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and an anti-PD(L)-1 therapy, and separately notes that the FDA has granted two Fast Track designations to CRB-701 in HNSCC and cervical cancer.
Another oncology asset in the pipeline is CRB-601, which Corbus describes as a potent and selective anti-αvβ8 integrin monoclonal antibody designed to block the activation of latent TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment to treat solid tumors. Company updates state that a Phase 1 dose-escalation study of CRB-601 is ongoing, with the first participant dosed in late 2024 and a study-in-progress poster presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). These disclosures position CRB-601 as an early-stage immuno-oncology candidate targeting TGFβ activation pathways.
Obesity program
In obesity, Corbus is developing CRB-913, which it describes as a highly peripherally restricted oral small-molecule CB1 receptor inverse agonist designed for the treatment of obesity and chronic obesity management. Company materials explain that CB1 inverse agonism is a recognized mechanism for weight loss, and that earlier experimental drugs in this class were discontinued due to potential neuropsychiatric adverse event risks. Corbus states that CRB-913 is designed to have reduced brain penetration, and preclinical models cited by the company show CRB-913 to be markedly more peripherally restricted than prior CB1 inverse agonists such as monlunabant and rimonabant based on brain-to-plasma ratios.
Corbus has reported results from a single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) Phase 1a study of CRB-913 conducted in the United States. According to the company, the double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and early weight-loss effects in both healthy participants and people with obesity. The company reports that CRB-913 was safe and well tolerated across all doses studied, with no serious treatment-emergent adverse events and no reported cases of nausea, vomiting, or constipation, and only one mild case of diarrhea. Daily neuropsychiatric assessments using standardized instruments were reported as stable and negative for all participants, with limited mild anxiety and irritability events in an obese cohort at the highest dose that resolved without medical intervention.
In a dedicated obese cohort in the MAD portion of the Phase 1a study, Corbus reports that all CRB-913–treated participants experienced weight loss, with a placebo-adjusted mean weight loss at Day 14 and individual reductions within a specified range. The company also notes that some participants reported reductions in food-related thoughts and cravings. Based on these results, Corbus has initiated a Phase 1b, 12‑week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study of CRB-913 (CANYON‑1) in obese, non-diabetic participants at multiple sites in the United States.
Corporate profile and capital markets activity
Corbus identifies itself in press releases and SEC filings as a “clinical stage oncology and obesity company” and an “oncology and obesity company with a diversified portfolio.” The company is classified in the pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing industry within the broader manufacturing sector. It communicates regularly with investors through conference presentations, virtual symposiums, and participation in healthcare investment conferences organized by firms such as J.P. Morgan, Guggenheim, Jefferies, Evercore, and Piper Sandler.
From a capital markets perspective, Corbus has disclosed public offerings of its common stock and pre-funded warrants. An 8‑K filing describes an underwriting agreement for an underwritten public offering of common shares and pre-funded warrants, along with the grant of an option to underwriters to purchase additional shares. The company states that it intends to use net proceeds from such offerings to fund clinical development of its pipeline and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. SEC filings also provide preliminary and final financial information, including cash, cash equivalents, investments, operating expenses, and net loss figures, illustrating the typical financial profile of a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company investing heavily in research and development.
Regulatory disclosures and governance
Corbus’ SEC filings include current reports on Form 8‑K that cover financial results, preliminary financial updates, entry into material definitive agreements such as underwriting agreements, and regulatory milestones like Fast Track designations. One 8‑K notes the planned resignation of a member of the Board of Directors due to retirement, with the company stating that the decision was not the result of any disagreement on operations, policies, or practices. These disclosures provide transparency into both operational progress and corporate governance matters.
Position within the biopharmaceutical landscape
Based on the provided information, Corbus is positioned as a clinical-stage developer of targeted therapies in oncology and obesity rather than a diversified large-cap pharmaceutical company. Its focus on mechanisms such as Nectin-4–targeted antibody-drug conjugates, anti‑integrin monoclonal antibodies affecting TGFβ activation, and peripherally restricted CB1 inverse agonists reflects a strategy centered on specific biological pathways that are described by the company as well understood. Investors and observers evaluating CRBP stock may therefore pay close attention to clinical trial readouts, regulatory designations, and capital-raising activities, all of which are documented in the company’s press releases and SEC filings.
Key pipeline assets highlighted by Corbus
- CRB-701 (SYS6002): Next-generation Nectin-4–targeting ADC with a site-specific, cleavable linker and a drug-antibody ratio of 2, using MMAE as the payload; evaluated in a Phase 1/2 trial in advanced solid tumors, with Fast Track designations reported in HNSCC and cervical cancer.
- CRB-601: Potent and selective anti-αvβ8 integrin monoclonal antibody designed to block activation of latent TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment for the treatment of solid tumors; subject of an ongoing Phase 1 dose-escalation study.
- CRB-913: Highly peripherally restricted oral small-molecule CB1 receptor inverse agonist for obesity; completed a Phase 1a SAD/MAD study with reported favorable safety and emerging weight-loss data, and advanced into a 12‑week Phase 1b dose-ranging study in obese, non-diabetic participants.
How Corbus describes its mission
Across multiple communications, Corbus states that it is committed to helping people defeat serious illness by bringing scientific or innovative scientific approaches to well‑understood biological pathways. This framing underpins its focus on targeted oncology agents and mechanistically defined obesity treatments, as reflected in the design of its clinical programs and the biological targets it has chosen to pursue.