Whitehawk Therapeutics Inc. (WHWK) presented research data at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology 2026 Annual Meeting showing MUC16 protein expression levels in ovarian and endometrial cancers. The analysis was conducted through a collaboration with Tempus AI and supports development of the company’s experimental drug HWK-016.
The research found MUC16 expression in ovarian cancer was at least two-fold higher than other emerging antibody-drug conjugate targets. In high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, which accounts for approximately 70% of ovarian cancer cases, MUC16 expression remained stable across disease stages and platinum sensitivity status.
For endometrial cancer, MUC16 showed high expression in serous adenocarcinoma, the most aggressive subtype accounting for about 40% of deaths, and in endometrioid adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype representing roughly 90% of cases.
"Across both ovarian and endometrial cancers, MUC16 shows a high level of stable expression that is uncommon among many therapeutic targets," said Kathleen N. Moore, MD, Deputy Director at The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
HWK-016 is designed to target the membrane-bound portion of MUC16 protein rather than the cleaved portion that circulates in blood. The drug uses a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with advanced ovarian and endometrial cancers. Initial clinical data are expected in the first half of 2027.
The company presented three posters at the meeting held April 10-13, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with presentations from researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, The Ohio State University, and University of Nebraska Medical Center.