SHANGHAI, Sept. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. (2696.HK) has entered into an exclusive license agreement with PT Kalbe Genexine Biologics ("KGbio"), an Indonesian pharmaceutical company and a holding subsidiary to PT Kalbe Farma, Tbk ("Kalbe"), for the development and commercialisation of HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab injection) as a treatment for two indications including ES-SCLC, Henlius' novel anti-PD-1 mAb, in 12 Middle East and North African (MENA) countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, etc. In 2019, Henlius reached a collaboration agreement with KGbio, upon which KGbio is granted exclusive rights to develop and commercialize HANSIZHUANG in certain therapies in 10 ASEAN member countries.
Under the terms of the agreement, Henlius will be responsible for manufacturing and supply and will receive a US$7 million upfront payment, up to US$8 million in regulatory milestones, and royalties from KGbio ranging from 15% to 20% of net sales of HANSIZHUANG in the licensed MENA territory. Henlius will also be eligible to receive up to US$650 million upon the achievement of sales milestones in the licensed 22 countries in Southeast Asia and MENA.
"HANSIZHUANG is the first and only anti-PD-1 therapy approved for first-line treatment of small cell lung cancer. More than 30,000 Chinese patients have benefited from its excellent efficacy. We are excited to join forces with KGbio in MENA after the license granted in Southeast Asia," said Jason Zhu, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chief Financial Officer of Henlius. "Our aim is to continue supporting and improving the treatment outcomes and quality of life for local patients. Through KGbio's commercial network and operational capabilities in MENA, we firmly believe that HANSIZHUANG will bring new hope and health to patients in Southeast Asia and MENA."
Ms. Ping Cao, Chief Business Officer, and VP of Business Development of Henlius, said, "The collaboration between Henlius and KGbio since 2019 was driven by a shared vision and mission and has opened a vast potential market for HANSIZHUANG in Southeast Asia. In the past 4 years, both parties have demonstrated a high level of synergistic effect driven by shared objectives. It has laid a strong foundation for our continued collaboration and I'm confident that together, we will continue to achieve more success in MENA."
"We welcome the collaboration between KGbio and Henlius. With KGbio's network and operational capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa, this collaboration is an effort for the two companies to develop the products, especially for innovative biological products," said Sie Djohan, President Director of KGbio, who is also the Director of Kalbe, KGbio's holding company.
The company's first innovative product, HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab), was approved in China in March 2022. At present, HANSIZHUANG has been approved for 3 indications in China including MSI-H solid tumour, squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) and extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). With its breakthrough efficacy and differentiation advantages in the relevant treatment fields, HANSIZHUANG has earned wide recognitions and its pivotal clinical research results have been published in leading medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Its synergy with in-house products of the company and innovative therapies are being actively promoted and over 10 clinical trials on immuno-oncology combination therapies are in progress in a wide variety of indications, such as lung cancer, esophageal carcinoma, gastric cancer, etc., covering full range of first-line treatments of lung cancers. As of now, the company has enrolled more than 3,600 subjects globally, and the proportion of White is over 30% in two multi-regional clinical trials (MRCTs). Its global clinical trial data will further support marketing applications in global markets and lay a foundation for clinical application all over the world in the future.
In the future, the two companies will fully leverage their respective resources and advantages to promote the commercialisation of HANSIZHUANG in Southeast Asia and MENA. It is anticipated that this will enhance HANSIZHUANG's accessibility in emerging markets and bring high-quality, affordable, and innovative medicines to more patients.
About HANSIZHUANG
HANSIZHUANG (recombinant humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody injection, generic name: serplulimab injection) is the first anti-PD-1 mAb for the first-line treatment of SCLC. Up to date, 3 indications are approved for marketing in China, 2 marketing applications are under review in China and the EU, and more than 10 clinical trials are ongoing across the world.
HANSIZHUANG was launched in March 2022 and has been approved by the National Medicinal Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of MSI-H solid tumours, squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) and extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). The marketing applications of the first-line treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and ES-SCLC are under review by the NMPA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), respectively. Focus on lung and gastrointestinal cancer, the synergy of HANSIZHUANG with in-house products of the company and innovative therapies are being actively promoted. It has successively obtained clinical trial licenses in China, the United States, the European Union and other countries and regions to initiate more than 10 clinical trials on immuno-oncology combination therapies in a wide variety of indications. As of now, the company has enrolled more than 3,600 subjects in China, the U.S., Turkey, Poland, Georgia and other countries and regions, and the proportion of White is over 30% in two MRCTs, making HANSIZHUANG an anti-PD-1 mAb with one of the largest global clinical data pools. The results of 3 pivotal trials of HANSIZHUANG were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Nature Medicine, and the British Journal of Cancer, respectively. Furthermore, HANSIZHUANG was recommended by the CSCO Guidelines for Small Cell Lung Cancer, the CSCO Guidelines for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, the CSCO Guidelines Esophageal Cancer, the CSCO Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer, the CSCO Clinical Practice Guidelines on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor, the China Guidelines for Radiotherapy of Esophageal Cancer and other definitive guides, providing valuable references for clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumours. On the other hand, Serplulimab was granted orphan drug designations by the FDA and the EC for the treatment of SCLC, and its bridging head-to-head trial in the United States to comparing HANSIZHUANG to standard of care Atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 mAb) for the first-line treatment of ES-SCLC is well under way.
About KGbio
KGbio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company established in 2016, focused on bringing biologics medical innovation to markets outside the US/Canada, Western Europe, and China. The business model revolves around in-licensing novel biologics and select biosimilars in oncology and high-specialty therapeutic areas (typically pre-IND or early clinical stage), with the objective to out-license them in target geographies after finishing clinical development as well as regulatory and reimbursement approvals.
Platforms of interest include Fc-fusion proteins, antibodies, bispecifics, ADCs, cell therapies and therapeutic vaccines. The company is backed by Asian pharma companies Kalbe Farma, Genexine, and US private equity giant General Atlantic.
About Kalbe
PT Kalbe Farma Tbk. ("Kalbe") was established in 1966 and is one of the largest publicly-listed pharmaceutical companies in Southeast Asia. Kalbe has four main divisions managing a broad and strong portfolio of brands; Prescription Pharmaceuticals Division, Consumer Health Division comprising over-the-counter drugs, as well as supplement drink and ready to drink products, Nutritionals Division, and Distribution & Logistics Division. Kalbe currently has more than 40 subsidiaries and 14 production facilities with international standards, employed around 16,000 employees and have 72 branches of distribution & logistics across Indonesia. Since 1991, Kalbe's shares have been listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX: KLBF). As of 31 December 2022, Kalbe has IDR 28.9 trillion total consolidated revenue and IDR 98.0 trillion market capitalization.
About Henlius
Henlius (2696.HK) is a global biopharmaceutical company with the vision to offer high-quality, affordable, and innovative biologic medicines for patients worldwide with a focus on oncology, autoimmune diseases, and ophthalmic diseases. Up to date, 5 products have been launched in China, 1 has been approved for marketing in overseas markets, 18 indications are approved worldwide, and 3 marketing applications have been accepted for review in China, the U.S., and the EU, respectively. Since its inception in 2010, Henlius has built an integrated biopharmaceutical platform with core capabilities of high-efficiency and innovation embedded throughout the whole product life cycle including R&D, manufacturing and commercialization. It has established global innovation centers and Shanghai-based manufacturing facilities in line with global Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), including Xuhui Plant certificated by China and the EU GMP and Songjiang First Plant certificated by China GMP.
Henlius has pro-actively built a diversified and high-quality product pipeline covering over 20 innovative monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and has continued to explore immuno-oncology combination therapies with proprietary HANSIZHUANG (anti-PD-1 mAb) as backbone. Apart from the launched products HANLIKANG (rituximab), the first China-developed biosimilar, HANQUYOU (trastuzumab for injection, trade name in Europe: Zercepac®; trade names in Australia: Tuzucip® and Trastucip®, the first China-developed mAb biosimilar approved both in China and Europe, HANDAYUAN (adalimumab) and HANBEITAI (bevacizumab), the innovative product HANSIZHUANG has been approved by the NMPA for the treatment of MSI-H solid tumors, squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) and extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), making it the world's first anti-PD-1 mAb for the first-line treatment of SCLC. Its NDA for the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is under review. What's more, Henlius has conducted over 30 clinical studies for 16 products, expanding its presence in major markets as well as emerging markets.
