Hansoh, Biotheus extend ADC partnership

Under the terms of the agreement, Biotheus has licensed the development, production, and commercialization of its bispecific antibody HS-20117/PM1080 solid tumor candidate to Hansoh.

HS-20117/PM1080, currently in Phase I clinical trials, is a 1+1 heterodimeric structure targeting tumor antigens EGFR and cMet, offering potential in inhibiting tumor growth and survival. According to the firm, this collaboration signifies both companies' commitment to advancing innovative biologics for oncology and inflammatory diseases.

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with Biotheus,” said Eliza Sun, executive director of the board at Hansoh.

“This collaboration combines Hansoh’s proprietary ADC platform technology with Biotheus’ novel bispecific antibody. We hope this new approach will further increase the clinical benefit in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or other solid tumors. We are confident in our ability to offer transformative treatment options to cancer patients in China and worldwide. This is made possible through our extensive experience in clinical development, exceptional commercialization efforts, and external partnerships.”

As a part of the agreement, Biotheus will receive up to 5 billion RMB ($694 million) in upfront and success-based milestones, plus tiered royalties based on global net sales from Hansoh Pharma.

“This is the second collaboration between Hansoh and Biotheus. We really appreciate Hansoh’s confidence in the potential of PM1080,” said Xiaolin Liu, CEO of Biotheus.

“Bispecific ADCs have a potential advantage for better tumor enrichment, overall efficacy and safety. Hansoh develops an outstanding ADC platform, and this collaboration will facilitate the synergy between Hansoh’s ADC expertise and Biotheus’ antibody capabilities. Through this collaboration, we hope to develop a novel EGFR/MET bispecific ADC with better efficacy and safety for cancer patients worldwide.”

In 2022, the firms had initially collaborated to manufacture Biotheus’ EGFR/MET bispecific antibody (also known as PM1080), for which Biotheus was expected to receive 1.4 billion CNY ($194 million).

Hansoh did not respond when contacted by this publication.