PR86342

SUZHOU, China, Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

-CStone to acquire exclusive rights for development and commercialization

outside South Korea for LCB71, an ROR1 antibody drug conjugate

-Agreement adds to CStone's pipeline a potential first-in-class/best-in-class

drug candidate with monotherapy and combination applications for a range of

cancer indications

-LCB71 has demonstrated preclinical efficacy and reduced toxicity

CStone Pharmaceuticals ("CStone", HKEX: 2616) announced today a licensing

agreement with LegoChem Biosciences, Inc. ("LCB", KOSDAQ:141080), for the

development and commercialization of LCB71, a potential

first-in-class/best-in-class antibody drug conjugate ("ADC").

Under the agreement, CStone obtains the exclusive global right to lead

development and commercialization of LCB71 outside the Republic of Korea. LCB

will receive an upfront payment of US$10 million, and up to US$353.5 million in

cumulative milestone payments, plus tiered royalties.

Frank Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CStone, said:

"We are very pleased to form this partnership with LCB, a leading ADC platform

company, to obtain global rights to an asset with highly differentiated

attributes in an exciting new field of oncology. The agreement adds the first

ADC to CStone's development pipeline, and bolsters our precision medicine

franchise with a new modality. We look forward to harnessing its full potential

and bringing it to patients around the world."

LCB71 is a pre-clinical ADC entering into Investigational New Drug ("IND")

enabling studies. It targets ROR1 (receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan

receptor 1), a high-potential ADC target for multiple solid and hematological

malignancies. ROR1 protein expression is prevalent in a variety of cancers

including various forms of leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and breast, lung,

and ovarian cancers.

LCB71 has a proprietary tumor-activated pyrrolobenzodiazepine ("PBD") prodrug

toxin that addresses the typical toxicity problem associated with traditional

PBD payloads. It has demonstrated complete tumor inhibition across several

preclinical cancer models, which may translate into a wide therapeutic index

for a range of solid and hematologic malignancies. Additionally, it utilizes

site-specific conjugation for a precise drug antibody ratio. This supports

serum half-life and improves its pharmacokinetic profile, and also enables

homogeneous production and large-scale manufacturing.

Dr. Yong-Zu Kim, CEO and President of LCB, said: "We are pleased to have

reached this agreement with CStone, which has demonstrated extensive oncology

expertise, especially in global clinical development. This partnership puts

LCB71 on a path to development and commercialization for patients worldwide. We

are convinced that CStone is the right partner to secure the future of this important drug."

About CStone

CStone is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing

innovative immuno-oncology and precision medicines to address the unmet medical

needs of cancer patients in China and worldwide. Established at the end of

2015, CStone has assembled a world-class management team with extensive

experience in innovative drug development, clinical research, and

commercialization. With a strategic emphasis on immuno-oncology combination

therapies, the Company has built an oncology-focused pipeline of 15 drug

candidates, including five late-stage candidates at pivotal trials or

registration stages. With an experienced team, a rich pipeline, a robust

clinical development-driven business model and substantial funding, CStone's

vision is to become globally recognized as a leading Chinese biopharmaceutical

company by bringing innovative oncology therapies to cancer patients worldwide.

For more information about CStone, please visit: www.cstonepharma.com.

About LegoChem Biosciences

LegoChem Biosciences (LCB) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company

focusing on the development of next-generation novel therapeutics utilizing its

proprietary medicinal drug discovery technology LegoChemistry and ADC platform

technology ConjuAll.  Since its foundation in 2006, LCB has focused on the

research and development of Antibody-Drug-Conjugates (ADCs), antibiotics,

anti-fibrotic and anticancer therapeutics based on proprietary platform

technologies. For more information on LCB's robust pipeline, visit

www.legochembio.com.

Forward-looking Statement

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events

or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article.

Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise

publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new

information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements

are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read

this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future

results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this

article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our

Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these

intentions may alter in light of future development.

CSTONE INVESTOR CONTACT

ir@cstonepharma.com  

Source: CStone Pharmaceuticals