Rocbrutinib, independently developed by Lupeng Pharmaceutical, is the fourth-generation BTK inhibitor with dual covalent (irreversible) and non-covalent (reversible) mechanism. The approval of rocbrutinib will provide a new breakthrough treatment option for R/R MCL patients following failure of earlier-generation BTK inhibitor therapy.

Dr. Tan Fenlai, co-founder and CEO of Lupeng Pharmaceutical, stated, "The successful approval of rocbrutinib is a major milestone in Lupeng Pharmaceutical's development. It will bring a new and effective treatment option to MCL patients who have experienced disease progression after earlier-generation BTK inhibitor therapy. Furthermore, it demonstrates Lupeng's global leadership in advancing BTK-targeted innovation. Going forward, we will continue to advance clinical studies of rocbrutinib in other indications such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), to help more patients with various hematologic malignancies."

Dr. Chen Yi, co-founder and CSO of the company, said, "The market launch of rocbrutinib is a successful example of Lupeng's 'innovation methodology,' proving that the company's unique 'Beyond the Rule of 5' , BeyondX Oral MedChem Platform , can efficiently develop next-generation, globally best-in-class small molecule targeted drugs featuring novel mechanisms of action."

The NMPA approval of rocbrutinib for the treatment of R/R MCL is primarily based on positive results from a nationwide, multi-center, open-label, single-arm Phase II registration clinical trial (the ROCK-1 study)^[1-2], led by Professor Zhu Jun and Professor Song Yuqin from Peking University Cancer Hospital. Forty-one centers across China participated in the study, which was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rocbrutinib monotherapy in MCL patients who had relapsed or were refractory after prior treatment with covalent BTK inhibitors. As of June 5, 2025, clinical trial data showed an objective response rate (ORR) of 63.9%, a complete response rate (CR) of 23%, and a median duration of response (mDOR) of 16.5 months. All enrolled patients had previously received at least a covalent BTK inhibitor; more than one-third of them had received two or more cBTK inhibitors. Baseline characteristics of the patient group were generally difficult to treat and had poor prognosis. In terms of safety, no atrial fibrillation/flutter or other cardiac events occurred, and no patient permanently discontinued treatment due to adverse events. The incidence of BTK inhibitor–associated toxicity was relatively low.

In April 2026, rocbrutinib was included for the first time in the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphoma , where it was listed as a Category II recommendation for the treatment of R/R MCL. Its inclusion in the guidelines prior to formal NMPA approval reflects the recognition by leading clinical experts of rocbrutinib's innovative mechanism and promising clinical value in addressing the significant unmet need in R/R MCL.

Professor Weiping Liu of Peking University Cancer Hospital noted that, based on key evidence from clinical studies, rocbrutinib has become an important recommended treatment option for MCL and provides support for standardized clinical practice. Professor Jun Ma of Harbin Institute of Hematology & Oncology further emphasized that patients with R/R MCL have long lacked effective standard treatment options, representing a major challenge in clinical practice. As the first fourth-generation BTK inhibitor to reach the marketing application stage, rocbrutinib's dual covalent and non-covalent mechanism enables it to target C481-site and other resistance mutations such as T474I and L528W, providing a scientific basis for overcoming acquired resistance.

The recommendation provides authoritative and standardized clinical guidance for physicians and offers a new treatment opportunity for patients with R/R MCL.

More importantly, rocbrutinib's anti-tumor activity is not limited to MCL; it has demonstrated positive therapeutic potential in various B-cell malignancies, including DLBCL, CLL/SLL and Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). The guidelines also include a note indicating rocbrutinib's efficacy as monotherapy or in combination therapy for patients with R/R DLBCL.

Based on preliminary study results in adult patients with non-GCB DLBCL who had received at least two prior lines of treatment, rocbrutinib was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) in May 2024. The corresponding pivotal Phase II registration study (ROCK-2) had already been initiated by the end of 2025.

Results from a Phase I study conducted in the United States showed that rocbrutinib achieved an ORR of 78.3% at doses of 200–300 mg/day in CLL patients previously treated with BTK inhibitors, with an estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) of 28.1 months in the 100–300 mg/day dose range^[3]. In January 2026, the global Phase III head-to-head clinical trial comparing rocbrutinib with the third-generation non-covalent BTK inhibitor pirtobrutinib for the treatment of R/R CLL/SLL (the ROCKET-CLL study, NCT07342478) was launched, marking a new stage in rocbrutinib's global development.

About Lupeng Pharmaceutical

Lupeng Pharmaceutical is a clinical-stage company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases. In pursuit of cutting-edge science, we are mainly focusing on clinically validated targets such as BTK, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and promoting international and domestic multi-center clinical development and commercialization.

Our investigational drugs LP-168 (rocbrutinib), LP-108 (lacutoclax) and LP-118 have demonstrated promising efficacy with a favorable safety profile, positioning them as potential Best-in-Class (BIC) medicines.  Rocbrutinib was already granted accelerated approval for relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (R/R MCL) by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China and was included in the Lymphoid Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) 2026. Lacutoclax have been granted regulatory approval by CDE for pivotal registration trials.

At Lupeng Pharmaceutical, we are committed to building a multinational pharmaceutical company and delivering innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs for the improvements of patient's lives.

GUANGZHOU, China and SAN FRANCISCO, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lupeng Pharmaceutical Ltd, a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced the enrollment of the first patient in its global Phase 3 ROCKET-CLL trial (NCT07342478). Newave Pharmaceutical Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Newave") and Guangzhou Lupeng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Guangzhou Lupeng") are both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Lupeng Pharmaceutical Ltd.

This head-to-head study evaluates the efficacy and safety of rocbrutinib (LP-168), a novel oral fourth-generation BTK inhibitor, against pirtobrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (R/R CLL/SLL) who have received prior therapy with a covalent BTK inhibitor (cBTKi). Existing BTK inhibitors face resistance challenges, underscoring the need for next-generation therapies that can overcome resistance.

The first study site of the ROCKET-CLL Phase 3 trial (LP-168-US-CLL301; NCT07342478) was activated on April 28, 2026, at OptumCare Cancer Care Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, under the leadership of Dr. Russell Gollard. On May 20, 2026, Dr. Gollard and his team enrolled the first patient, marking a key milestone in the global development of rocbrutinib (LP-168), an investigational BTK inhibitor being evaluated in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) who have progressed after prior covalent BTK inhibitor therapy.

ROCKET-CLL is a randomized, open-label, multicenter Phase 3 study expected to enroll approximately 306 adult patients worldwide. The study is co-led by Drs. Jennifer Woyach at Ohio State University and John Byrd at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, with participation by leading academic centers in the US, EU, China, and Australia.

Participants are randomized 1:1 to receive once-daily oral rocbrutinib (200 mg) or pirtobrutinib (200 mg). The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS), and secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS, key secondary endpoint), overall response rate (ORR), and duration of response (DOR), time to next treatment (TTNT), event-free survival (EFS), safety and tolerability. Exploratory endpoints include patient-reported outcomes, health-related quality of life, and biomarker analyses to further characterize treatment response and resistance mechanisms.

Enrollment is expected to be completed by early Q4 2027, with an interim analysis planned for 2029.

"ROCKET-CLL marks an important step in validating rocbrutinib's differentiated dual covalent and non-covalent mechanism," said Jennifer Woyach, MD, Bertha Bouroncle MD and Andrew Pereny Chair of Medicine at The Ohio State University  College of Medicine. "Based on clinical findings from the US Phase 1 study, among CLL patients previously treated with cBTKi and/or ncBTKi, patients treated at dose levels of 200 mg/day or higher, the overall response rate was 78.3%, with an estimated median progression-free survival of 28.1 months for doses of at least 100 mg/daily" ^[1].

About Rocbrutinib (LP-168)

Rocbrutinib (LP-168) is a novel, orally available, highly selective fourth-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor developed on Lupeng's proprietary BeyondX platform. It is engineered to combine covalent (irreversible) and non-covalent (reversible) binding, enabling inhibition of both wild-type and C481-mutant BTK and overcoming multiple resistance mutations, including C481X, T474X, and L528W. This differentiated mechanism positions rocbrutinib as a potential best-in-class BTK inhibitor in the post-BTKi setting. Rocbrutinib has demonstrated a favorable safety profile and durable clinical responses across multiple B-cell malignancies.

In China, rocbrutinib's New Drug Application (NDA) for relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (R/R MCL) has been accepted and is under Priority Review by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Additionally, rocbrutinib has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) in China for adult patients with relapsed or refractory non-germinal center B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R non-GCB DLBCL) who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, making it the first BTK inhibitor in China—and the only one globally—to receive such designation in this indication.

About Lupeng Pharmaceutical Ltd

Newave Pharmaceutical Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Newave") and Guangzhou Lupeng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Guangzhou Lupeng") are both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Lupeng Pharmaceutical Ltd. Lupeng Pharmaceutical Ltd is a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing next-generation therapies for hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Leveraging its proprietary BeyondX medicinal chemistry platform, the company is advancing a robust pipeline targeting clinically validated pathways, including BTK, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL. With a strong commitment to innovation and global development, Lupeng aims to deliver transformative therapies that address unmet medical needs worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.lupengbio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those regarding clinical development timelines, regulatory progress, and the potential therapeutic benefits of rocbrutinib. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially.

Reference:

1. Updates of R/R CLL with prior exposure to Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and/or bcl-2 inhibitor in the Phase 1 trial of LP-168 (rocbrutinib), a novel COVALENT and non-COVALENT BTK inhibitor. ASH 2025. abs25-2620