Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Alphamab Oncology announced that Jiangsu Alphamab Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("Jiangsu Alphamab"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has established strategic partnership with Simcere and 3D Medicines (Beijing) Co., Ltd. ("3DMed") to advance the development and commercialization of KN035 (also known as envafolimab), a checkpoint inhibitor for programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), for oncology indications in mainland China.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alphamab Oncology is the exclusive manufacturer of KN035 and responsible for the production and supply of KN035. 3DMed will oversee KN035's clinical development, registration and commercialization. Simcere will exclusively market KN035 in mainland China upon the product's registration, and charge a marketing fee to 3DMed.
Invented by Alphamab Oncology, KN035 is a recombinant anti-PD-L1 single domain antibody fused with human Fc. In 2016, Alphamab Oncology and 3DMed reached an agreement to co-develop KN035 which is on track to be the first subcutaneous injectable anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibody to be approved globally. Compared to other marketed PD1/PD-L1 antibodies, KN035 has demonstrated distinctive advantages in safety, convenience and patient compliance, which may further improve patients' quality of life. KN035 is undergoing clinical trials in China, the United States, and Japan for multiple cancer indications, with more than 900 patients enrolled, including a pivotal Phase II clinical trial investigating the treatment of advanced solid tumors with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)/mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). Additionally, KN035 is undergoing pivotal Phase III clinical trials for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) in China. On January 18, 2020, KN035 was granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for the treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC).
Dr. Ting XU, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Alphamab Oncology, commented, "KN035 is likely the first PD-L1 inhibitor with subcutaneous administration to be approved globally. Compared to PD-1/PD-L1 drugs on the market currently, it has strong differentiation and advantages including stability, compliance, convenience and cost. KN035 is one of our many globally competitive innovative candidates as a result of our relentless R&D effort by focusing on globally innovative biologics for over a decade. To certain extent, this also represents the trend that Chinese pharmaceutical companies are becoming more competitive in global innovation. And this collaboration amongst three companies not only has demonstrated how top tier innovative R&D, clinical and commercial teams in China join forces, but also could set the example of an outstanding collaboration of innovative drug R&D and commercialization in China aiming to benefit more cancer patients in the near future."
Mr. Jinsheng REN, Founder and Chairman of Simcere, added: "KN035 is a first-in-class single domain PD-L1 antibody. With distinctive characteristics and advantages such as subcutaneous injection and stability at room temperature, KN035 can improve compliance and the quality of life of cancer patients, and simultaneously may reduce medical costs and improve drug accessibility. It is a medication with greater clinical significance and can truly benefit patients and our society. This strategic partnership will enable synergy in early stage development, clinical development, and commercialization. Together, we hope to fulfill our mission of making better medicines available to patients sooner."
Dr. Zhaolong GONG, Chairman and CEO of 3DMed added, "We are pleased to reach a major partnership with Simcere, a company with a well-established marketing network and in-depth experience in the China market, to drive the development and commercialization of KN035 in oncology. In addition to the indications being investigated, we will fully leverage KN035's distinctive differentiation advantages in convenience and safety features, by pursuing clinical development of KN035 in the first line treatment of advanced stage cancer, in maintenance therapy, in adjuvant and neo-adjuvant treatment, with the aim of providing better treatment options for cancer patients worldwide."
