SUZHOU, China, Jan. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes high quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, autoimmune, metabolic and other major diseases, and Sirnaomics Inc. ("Sirnaomics"), a leading biopharmaceutical company in discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics against cancer and fibrotic diseases, jointly announced today that the two companies have entered a strategic collaboration to conduct clinical studies, using Innovent's antibody drug Tyvyt® (sintilimab injection) and Sirnaomics' RNAi drug candidate STP705 (cotsiranib), for combination treatment in advanced cancers, such as Hepatocellular Carcinomas (HCC), with high unmet need in the US.
Dr. Hui Zhou, Vice President and Head of Oncology Strategy and Medical Sciences of Innovent, stated, "Sintilimab was granted marketing approval by the NMPA in 2018 and has been the only PD-1 inhibitor included in the NRDL since 2019. Sintilimab has gained broad recognition by the market, due to its profiles in safety and efficacy. Through partnership with other companies, we are exploring more sintilimab-based combination therapies and have seen some promising results. Developing a combination therapy, comprised of an antibody drug and a RNAi drug, may provide more comprehensive and effective treatments for patients. The potential clinical value of the combination therapy of sintilimab and cotsiranib will be evaluated and we hope more patients will benefit from this potential therapy globally."
Patrick Lu, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sirnaomics, stated, "This collaborative effort between Sirnaomics and Innovent will be the first example of a combination strategy using an RNAi drug candidate together with an approved immune checkpoint antibody drug for the treatment of liver cancers. This represents an important clinical approach for combating these deadly diseases where the silencing of gene targets that reduce T-cell access and activity may augment the activity of checkpoint inhibitors in liver cancer."
Michael Molyneaux, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Sirnaomics, stated, "Sirnaomics is very excited to enter into this collaboration agreement with Innovent to potentially bring lifesaving therapies to patients with Hepatocellular Cancers. It is well known that, despite recent advances in cancer therapies, HCC is still a deadly form of liver cancer with high unmet need. Our pre-clinical Proof of Concept oncology data has consistently demonstrated single agent efficacy with STP705 in HCC and our most recent work on mechanism of action strongly suggest that the use of our lead asset (STP705) in combination with antibody therapies could greatly benefit patients with HCC. Innovent has a very strong track record for innovation and execution in the clinical space and a shared vision of bringing lifesaving therapies to their patients. We believe that combining Sirnaomics novel siRNA technology with Innovent's cutting edge antibody therapies has the potential to significantly improve the current treatment landscape for patients with Hepatocellular Cancer."
About Tyvyt® (Sintilimab Injection)
Tyvyt® (sintilimab injection), an innovative drug jointly developed in China by Innovent and Lilly, was granted marketing approval by the NMPA for r/r cHL in 2018, and included in the 2019 Guidelines of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology ("CSCO") for Lymphoid Malignancies. Tyvyt® (sintilimab injection) has been the only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody included in the NRDL since 2019.
Tyvyt® (sintilimab injection) is a type of immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody, which binds to PD-1 molecules on the surface of T-cells, blocks the PD-1/ PD-1 Ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway and reactivates T-cells to kill cancer cells. Innovent is currently conducting more than 20 clinical studies for sintilimab injection to evaluate its safety and efficacy in a wide variety of cancer indications, including eight registration or pivotal clinical trials. Innovent is also conducting clinical studies of sintilimab injection in the United States.
About STP705 (Cotsiranib)
Sirnaomics' leading product candidate, STP705, is an siRNA (small interfering RNA) therapeutic which takes advantage of a dual-targeted inhibitory property and polypeptide nanoparticle (PNP)-enhanced delivery to directly knock down both TGF-β1 and COX-2 gene expression. The product candidate has received multiple IND approvals from both the US FDA and Chinese NMPA, including treatments of Cholangiocarcinoma, Non-Melanoma skin cancer and Hypertrophic Scar. STP705 has also received Orphan Drug Designation for treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. STP705 has demonstrated a dramatic improvement in T-cell penetration into tumors in the liver with single agent action as well as improvement in the efficacy of an anti-PD-L1 antibody checkpoint inhibitor in an HCC model. This effect may improve other immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacies in addition to those targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis.
About Innovent
Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop and commercialize high quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high quality innovative medicines for the treatment of oncology, autoimmune, metabolic and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK.
Since it was founded, Innovent has developed a fully-integrated platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built a robust pipeline of 21 innovative assets in the fields of oncology, autoimmune, metabolic diseases and other major therapeutic areas, with seventeen in clinical development, five in Phase III clinical trials, three NDAs under review by NMPA with priority review status, while Tyvyt®, officially approved for marketing in China in 2018, has been the only PD-1 inhibitor included in the NRDL since 2019.
Innovent has built an international team of advanced talents in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many overseas experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Adimab, Incyte, Hanmi and other international pharmaceutical companies. Innovent strives to work with all relevant parties to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability to ordinary people and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit：www.innoventbio.com.
About Sirnaomics, Inc.
Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading privately held biopharmaceutical company for discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with subsidiaries in Suzhou and Guangzhou, China. The company's mission is to develop novel therapeutics to alleviate human suffering and advance patient care in areas of high unmet medical need. The guiding principles of the company are: Innovation, Global Vision with a Patient Centered focus. Members of the senior management team have a great deal of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, financial, clinical and business management in both the USA and China. The company is supported by funding from institutional investors and corporate partnerships. Sirnaomics has developed a strong portfolio of intellectual property with an enriched product pipeline. The therapeutic areas of focus include oncology and anti-fibrotic therapeutics. Learn more at www.sirnaomics.com.