InnoCare Announces Approval of Clinical Trial of BCL2 Inhibitor ICP-248 in Combination with Orelabrutinib as First-Line Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma in China

BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969; SSE: 688428), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced today the approval of the Investigational New Drug (IND) to conduct the clinical trial of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) inhibitor ICP-248 in combination with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor orelabrutinib as first-line therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in China.

This multicenter, randomized-controlled, open-label clinical study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ICP-248 combined with orelabrutinib versus immunochemotherapy in treatment-naive patients with CLL/SLL.

ICP-248 is a novel, orally bioavailable BCL2-selective inhibitor, which aims to treat hematologic malignancies as a monotherapy or in combination with other therapies. BCL2 is an important regulatory protein of apoptosis pathway, and its abnormal expression is related to the development of various hematologic malignancies. ICP-248 has an anti-tumor effect by selectively inhibiting BCL2 and restoring the mechanism of programmed cell death. The preliminary result has demonstrated a good efficacy and safety profile.

Orelabrutinib has been approved for marketing in China and Singapore, and all three approved indications related to lymphoma have been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in China. In the treatment of relapsed/refractor CLL/SLL patients with orelabrutinib, the overall response rate and complete response rate reached 93.8% and 30% respectively, demonstrating an outstanding efficacy and safety profile.

Dr. Jasmine Cui, the co-founder, chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare, said, “InnoCare has developed strong pipeline in hemato-oncology that covers a variety of important hemato-oncology targets, including BTK, BLC2, CD19, CD20xCD3, E-3 ligase, etc. ICP-248 and orelabrutinib are important global assets of our company in the field of hematology, with multiple clinical studies conducted in China and the United States. We will accelerate clinical development and look forward to providing CLL/SLL patients with more efficient and safe treatment options.”

CLL/SLL, one of the most common types of leukemia, is an indolent malignancy of B lymphocytes. There are 191,000 newly diagnosed CLL cases and 61,000 deaths every year globally1. The incidence rate of CLL/SLL is on the rise in China2.

About InnoCare

InnoCare is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class drugs for the treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases with unmet medical needs in China and worldwide. InnoCare has branches in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and the United States.

InnoCare Forward-looking Statements

This report contains the disclosure of some forward-looking statements. Except for statements of facts, all other statements can be regarded as forward-looking statements, that is, about our or our management’s intentions, plans, beliefs, or expectations that will or may occur in the future. Such statements are assumptions and estimates made by our management based on its experience and knowledge of historical trends, current conditions, expected future development and other related factors. This forward-looking statement does not guarantee future performance, and actual results, development and business decisions may not match the expectations of the forward-looking statement. Our forward-looking statements are also subject to a large number of risks and uncertainties, which may affect our short-term and long-term performance.

_________________________

1 American Journal of Hematology
2 Ybanlv

Contacts

Media
Chunhua Lu

86-10-66609879

chunhua.lu@innocarepharma.com

Investors
86-10-66609999

ir@innocarepharma.com

Junshi Biosciences Announces Toripalimab in Combination with Chemotherapy for Treatment of Advanced Triple-negative Breast Cancer Met Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 Clinical Study

Junshi Biosciences Announces Toripalimab in Combination with Chemotherapy for Treatment of Advanced Triple-negative Breast Cancer Met Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 Clinical Study




Junshi Biosciences Announces Toripalimab in Combination with Chemotherapy for Treatment of Advanced Triple-negative Breast Cancer Met Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 Clinical Study

SHANGHAI, China, Feb. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (“Junshi Biosciences”, HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180) today announced that the pre-specified interim analysis has been completed for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center phase III clinical study (“TORCHLIGHT Study”, NCT04085276) examining the company’s product toripalimab in combination with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound) in patients with an initial diagnosis of stage IV or recurrent/metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) has determined that the primary endpoint met the pre-defined efficacy boundary. Junshi Biosciences will communicate with the regulatory authorities regarding matters related to the supplemental new drug application in the near future.

According to GLOBOCAN 2020, breast cancer had the highest incidence rates worldwide, with 2.26 million new cases and 0.68 million deaths in 2020. In China, 0.42 million new cases and 0.12 million deaths due to breast cancer were reported in 2020, accounting for 18.4% and 17.1% of global cases, respectively. Amongst these breast cancer cases, triple-negative breast cancer (“TNBC”) accounted for approximately 15% to 20% of them. TNBC is a more aggressive type of tumor with a higher risk of recurrence and poor prognosis. Advanced TNBC is insensitive to targeted therapy and endocrine therapy, and there are currently no specific treatment methods available.

In recent years, oncology immunotherapy drugs represented by PD-(L)1 inhibitors have achieved a series of breakthroughs in treating various types of tumors. However, to this day, no immunotherapy drugs have been approved for advanced TNBC in China, and chemotherapy remains the primary treatment option. Alternative drugs include anthracyclines, taxanes, platinum-based drugs, etc. Both mono-chemotherapy and combined chemotherapy have poor efficacy, with a median survival time of about nine to 12 months and a 5-year survival rate of less than 30%.

The TORCHLIGHT study is the first Phase III registration study in China to achieve a positive outcome in an advanced triple-negative breast cancer immunotherapy. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase III clinical study was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of toripalimab combined with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound) and placebo combined with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound) in patients with an initial diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer or recurrent/metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

The interim analysis of this study demonstrated that, compared with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound), toripalimab in combination with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound) in patients with initial diagnosis of stage IV or recurrent metastatic triple-negative breast cancer can significantly prolong the progression-free survival (PFS) of PD-L1 positive patients. Meanwhile, the overall survival (OS), one of the secondary endpoints, also showed a clear trend of improvement in PD-1 positive patients as well as in all patients regardless of PD-1 status. The safety data of toripalimab is consistent with known risks, and no new safety signals were identified.

“The TNBC subtype of breast cancer is the most aggressive and has the worst prognosis,” said Professor Zefei JIANG from the Department of Oncology at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, the Vice President and Secretary General of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) and Principal Investigator of the TORCHLIGHT study. “Advanced TNBC patients have limited survival rates and lack effective treatment methods. Aiming to improve patient survival, a group of Chinese researchers successfully conducted the first phase III study on immune-oncology for advanced TNBC patients, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and achieved breakthrough results. These results demonstrate that the combined use of the monoclonal antibody, toripalimab, with traditional chemotherapy significantly prolonged the PFS of patients, and this has the potential to become a new standard treatment for patients with an initial diagnosis of stage IV TNBC as well as those with recurrent/metastatic TNBC, offering patients new hope!”

“I’m extremely pleased that TORCHLIGHT research has been successful, and its success is a result of the dedicated efforts of patients, researchers, and development teams,” said Dr. Jianjun ZOU, the President of Global Research and Development at Junshi Biosciences. “We will work closely with regulatory authorities to ensure that relevant indications are approved as soon as possible. We hope that toripalimab will provide better treatment options for patients and address unmet medical needs.”

About Toripalimab

Toripalimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody developed for its ability to block PD-1 interactions with its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and for enhanced receptor internalization (endocytosis function). Blocking PD-1 interactions with PD-L1 and PD-L2 promotes the immune system’s ability to attack and kill tumor cells.

More than thirty company-sponsored toripalimab clinical studies covering more than fifteen indications have been conducted globally by Junshi Biosciences, including in China, the United States, Southeast Asia, and European countries. Ongoing or completed pivotal clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of toripalimab cover a broad range of tumor types including cancers of the lung, nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder, breast, liver, kidney and skin.

In China, toripalimab was the first domestic anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody approved for marketing (approved in China as TUOYI®). Currently, there are six approved indications for toripalimab in China:

  1. unresectable or metastatic melanoma after failure of standard systemic therapy;
  2. recurrent or metastatic NPC after failure of at least two lines of prior systemic therapy;
  3. locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that failed platinum-containing chemotherapy or progressed within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy;
  4. in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine as the first-line treatment for patients with locally recurrent or metastatic NPC;
  5. in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced/recurrent or distant metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (“ESCC”);
  6. in combination with pemetrexed and platinum as the first-line treatment in EGFR mutation-negative and ALK mutation-negative, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”).

The first three indications have been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) (2022 Edition). Toripalimab is the only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody included in the NRDL for treatment of melanoma.

In terms of international layout, the Biologics License Application (BLA) for toripalimab in combination with gemcitabine/cisplatin, for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced recurrent or metastatic NPC and toripalimab monotherapy for the second-line or later treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC after platinum-containing chemotherapy is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In December 2022 and February 2023, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) accepted the marketing authorization application (MAA) for toripalimab in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic NPC, and toripalimab in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced/recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, respectively.

About Junshi Biosciences
Founded in December 2012, Junshi Biosciences (HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapeutics. The company has established a diversified R&D pipeline comprising over 50 drug candidates, with five therapeutic focus areas covering cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, neurological, and infectious diseases. Junshi Biosciences was the first Chinese pharmaceutical company that obtained marketing approval for anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody in China. Its first-in-human anti-BTLA monoclonal antibody for the treatment of various cancers was the first in the world to be approved for clinical trials by the FDA and NMPA and has since entered Phase Ib/II trials in both China and the US. Its anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibody was the first in China to be approved for clinical trials by the NMPA.

In the face of the pandemic, Junshi Biosciences’ response was strong and immediate, joining forces with Chinese and international scientific research institutions and enterprises to develop an arsenal of drug candidates to combat COVID-19, taking the initiative to shoulder the social responsibility of Chinese pharmaceutical companies by prioritizing and accelerating COVID-19 R&D. Among the many drug candidates is JS016 (etesevimab), China’s first neutralizing fully human monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 and the result of the combined efforts of Junshi Biosciences, the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Science and Lilly. JS016 administered with bamlanivimab has been granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) in over 15 countries and regions worldwide. As of December 3 2021, over 700,000 patients have been treated with bamlanivimab or bamlanivimab and etesevimab, potentially preventing more than 35,000 hospitalizations and at least 14,000 deaths. Meanwhile, VV116, a new oral nucleoside analog anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug designed to hinder virus replication, has been approved for marketing in China and Uzbekistan. The JS016 and VV116 programs are a part of the company’s continuous innovation for disease control and prevention of the global pandemic.

Junshi Biosciences has more than 3,100 employees in the United States (San Francisco and Maryland) and China (Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, etc). For more information, please visit: http://junshipharma.com.

Junshi Biosciences Contact Information
IR Team:
Junshi Biosciences
info@junshipharma.com
+ 86 021-6105 8800

PR Team:
Junshi Biosciences
Zhi Li
zhi_li@junshipharma.com
+ 86 021-6105 8800

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