Objective To characterize the safety profiles and serum pharmacokinetic effects of antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody (CMAB009) in advanced cancer patients and evaluate the preliminary evidence of its anti-tumor activity. Methods This phase I, single-center clinical trial had 2 phases of treatment: single-dose phase, followed by a fixed weekly dose. Subjects meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 initial doses of CMAB009 (100, 250 & 400 mg/m2) for the purpose of single-dose pharmacokinetic evaluation. After a 28-day washout period of allowing for the characterization of pharmacokinetic end points, the eligible patients were permitted to undergo a successive multi-dose phase study. They were divided into 2 dose groups, group A with 4 weekly doses of 250 mg/m2, group B with the initial dose of 400 mg/m2, followed by 3 weekly doses of 250 mg/m2. The subjects were closely monitored for adverse events throughout the trial. Results A total of 18 subjects were recruited, including colorectal cancer ( n = 10), non-small cell lung cancer ( n =7) and gastric cancer (n = 1 ). CMAB009-associated toxicity was minimal. And the most commonly reported Grade 1/2 adverse events were skin rashes, fever, nausea and headache. Two patients with colorectal cancer achieved partial remission and the time to progression (TTP) was 24 and 16 weeks respectively. Conclusion As a well-tolerated antitumor agent, CMAB009 may be safely administered by the above multi-dosing protocol.