Exhibit 99.1
Press Release
HUTCHMED Initiates Phase II/III Trial of the Combination of Surufatinib and Camrelizumab for Treatment-Naïve Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in Collaboration with Hengrui
— Almost half a million people diagnosed each year across the globe —
— Collaboration based on synergistic potential of inhibiting angiogenesis and tumor-associated macrophages with HUTCHMED’s surufatinib and anti-PD-1 activity with Hengrui’s camrelizumab, promoting the immune response against tumor cells —
Hong Kong, Shanghai & Florham Park, NJ — Tuesday, May 14, 2024: HUTCHMED (China) Limited (“HUTCHMED”) (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) today announces the initiation of a Phase II/III trial to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of the HUTCHMED drug candidate surufatinib, the Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd (“Hengrui Pharma”) PD-1 antibody camrelizumab, nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (“PDAC”) in China. PDAC is an exocrine tumor and the most common form of pancreatic cancer. The first patient received the first dose on May 8, 2024.
PDAC is a highly aggressive form of cancer, representing over 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. Globally, an estimated 511,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, leading to approximately 467,000 deaths in 2022, with an average five-year survival rate of less than 10%. In China, an estimated 119,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, causing approximately 106,000 deaths in 2022.1 Treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are commonly employed, but have not shown significant improvement in patient outcomes. Under 20% of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients survive more than a year.2
The trial is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, Phase II/III trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of surufatinib combined with camrelizumab, nab-paclitaxel, and gemcitabine versus nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine as a treatment for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have not been previously treated with a systemic anti-tumor therapy. After an initial safety run-in stage, the Phase II/III stage of the study may enroll a further 500 patients, with a primary endpoint of overall survival (OS). Other endpoints include objective response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), safety, quality of life, duration of response and time to response. Additional details may be found at clinicaltrials.gov, using identifier NCT06361888.
Dr Weiguo Su, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of HUTCHMED, said, “Emerging data including those from an investigator-initiated study presented at the ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, demonstrated that combinations of surufatinib, camrelizumab and chemotherapy have promising efficacy in comparison with existing chemotherapy-based treatments in metastatic PDAC.3 We hope that this partnership will enable us to bring new, potentially life-changing treatment options to patients.”
About Surufatinib
Surufatinib is a novel, oral angio-immuno kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity associated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), which both inhibit angiogenesis, and colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R), which regulates tumor-associated macrophages, promoting the body’s immune response against tumor cells. Its unique dual mechanism of action may be very suitable for possible combinations with other immunotherapies, where there may be synergistic anti-tumor effects.
Surufatinib is marketed in China by HUTCHMED under the brand name SULANDA®, and was first included in the China National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in January 2022 for the treatment of non-pancreatic and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).