Selinexor is an oral small molecule XPO1 inhibitor; tislelizumab is an anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor

Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene" SEHK: 6996.HK), a leading innovative, commercial-stage global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class therapeutics in hematology and oncology, today announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with BeiGene to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and preliminary efficacy of selinexor in combination with BeiGene's anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, tislelizumab. This multi-center, open-label Phase I/II trial will evaluate the investigational combination as a potential treatment option for patients with T and NK-cell lymphoma.

"We are delighted to partner with BeiGene, a company that strives for innovation and excellence, and is committed to developing best-in-class or first-in-class anti-cancer therapies for patients across the globe. These qualities are very similar to those of our vision at Antengene," said Dr. Jay Mei, Antengene's Founder, Chairman and CEO. "We look forward to advancing the combination of selinexor and tislelizumab to clinical development. With good data we will be able to bring this treatment regimen to patients with T and NK-cell lymphoma, diseases that are endemic in Asia but underserved by current therapies."

"At Antengene, we believe that the combinational use of immuno-oncology drugs and Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compounds possesses huge potential as novel treatment regimens for cancer patients," said Dr. Kevin Lynch, Antengene's Chief Medical Officer. "The mechanism of action of selinexor in inhibiting the nuclear export protein XPO1 facilitates the intranuclear accumulation of tumor suppressors, making it a good partner in multiple combination treatment regimens. Preclinical research we conducted demonstrated that selinexor combined with a checkpoint inhibitor increased anti-tumor activity in multiple tumor models. In addition, deep and durable responses were also seen in multiple case reports of patients with T and NK-cell lymphoma treated with selinexor in combination with an anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor. We hope to confirm that selinexor can synergize with tislelizumab to deliver an effective treatment regimen and help address the huge unmet medical needs in T and NK-cell lymphoma in the Asia Pacific regions and around the world." continued Dr. Lynch.

Tislelizumab is a PD-1 inhibitor designed to help aid the body's immune cells to detect and fight tumors. Tislelizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, is specifically designed to minimize binding to FcγR on macrophages. In pre-clinical studies, binding to FcγR on macrophages has been shown to compromise the anti-tumor activity of PD-1 antibodies through activation of antibody-dependent macrophage-mediated killing of T effector cells.