17 January 2025 | Friday | News
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Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncologic, autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic, ophthalmologic and other major diseases, and Jiangsu Aosaikang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (ASK Pharm, 002755.SZ), jointly announce that China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved the New Drug Application (NDA) of limertinib for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR T790M-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Limertinib is the 14th product in Innovent's commercial portfolio and represents a cutting-edge addition to its strong TKI franchise, offering an innovative precision therapy option to lung cancer patients.
A Phase 2b pivotal study evaluating 301 patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR T790M-mutated NSCLC demonstrated limertinib's robust efficacy and safety profile. Independent review committee(IRC) assessment showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 68.8% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 92.4%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) reached 11.0 months, with a median duration of response (DoR) of 11.1 months. For patients with assessable central nervous system (CNS) lesions (N=99), the CNS best-ORR was 65.9% with a median PFS of 10.6 months. The safety profile aligned with other EGFR-targeting agents in its class.
Additionally, limertinib met its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 clinical trial comparing it to gefitinib for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations. A separate NDA for the first-line treatment in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC carrying EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations is currently under NMPA review.
"Limertinib has demonstrated significant efficacy and safety in NSCLC patients with EGFR T790M mutation and EGFR-sensitive mutations. Patients treated with limertinib showed a reduced risk of CNS progression or death. This approval brings new hope and options to patients with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC in China," said Professor Shi Yuankai, MD, Department of Medical Oncology at Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Principal Investigator of the Phase 2b and Phase 3 clinical studies.
Dr. Hui Zhou, Senior Vice President of Innovent, stated:"The approval of limertinib's first indication marks a significant milestone, providing new treatment options for T790 mutation-positive lung cancer patients who have progressed after previous EGFR-TKI treatments. We anticipate the first-line treatment indication will benefit even more patients in the near future. As our 14th commercial product, limertinib represents an important advancement in precision medicine for lung cancer. We look forward to working with ASK Pharm to bring limertinib to market and benefit Chinese patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC."
Mr. Jingfei Ma, CEO and Executive Director of ASK Pharm, stated: "Beyond the approval for EGFR T790M+ NSCLC, limertinib is also under regulatory review for first-line treatment of EGFR 19DEL+ or L858R+ NSCLC in China. ASKC202, a new highly selective c-Met inhibitor, is currently undergoing clinical study in combination with limertinib to treat patients with third-generation EGFR-TKI resistance. Together with Innovent, we look forward to limertinib benefiting more Chinese lung cancer patients in the near future. The first approval of limertinib, a Class I innovative product, represents significant progress in the company's transformation toward innovative drug research and development. "
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