OctoVent and Orient EuroPharma sign licensing agreement over immunotherapeutic candidate

pharmafile | March 28, 2023 | News story | Medical Communications  

OctoVent, subsidiary of Hepalink Pharmaceutical Group, has entered into a license agreement with Taiwan-based Orient EuroPharma (OEP). The two companies will collaborate on immunotherapeutic candidate oregovomab.

 

Oregovomab is a murine monoclonal antibody and a first-in-class anti-CA125 immunotherapy drug candidate. In a phase 2 clinical trial, oregovomab combined with standard chemotherapy was studied for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced primary ovarian cancer. The trial found the safety and efficacy of the combination was in line with expectations. Oregovomab is currently being evaluated in a global phase 3 trial.

 

Within the agreement, OncoVent agreed to grant exclusive rights to OEP ‒ it will be responsible for the commercialisation of oregovomab in Taiwan, which will include the related regulatory applications and necessary clinical trials. OncoVent will also be entitled to a multitude of payments, totally $11.2m.

 

Calvin Tsai, CEO of OEP, stated: “We have been actively expanding our oncology portfolio through R&D collaborations and in-licensing, in order to address unmet medical needs in a broad range of tumour types and bring renewed hope to cancer patients in the Asia Pacific region. Hepalink is a leading multinational biopharmaceutical company dual-listed in Hong Kong and mainland China. Its subsidiary, OncoVent, possesses a monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology platform and advanced biotechnologies for the development of oncotherapeutic vaccines and immuno-oncologic combination therapies. It is our pleasure to enter into this collaboration with Hepalink. We believe oregovomab can potentially improve the treatment outcomes for patients with advanced primary ovarian cancer. This collaboration with OncoVent not only strengthens our oncology portfolio, but also serves our overarching objective of advancing oncologic therapeutics.”

 

Tao Han, chief business officer of Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Group Co, Ltd. and CEO of OncoVent Co, Ltd, commented, “having established itself in the oncology field for over 20 years, OEP is a multinational pharmaceutical company with integrated capabilities in R&D, manufacturing and commercialisation, as well as a highly experienced team in the Asia Pacific region. We are glad to have entered into this strategic agreement with OEP as it will allow us to jointly develop and commercialise oregovomab, a candidate drug with promising therapeutic potential, and explore the drug’s additional therapeutic utility for a broader population of cancer patients. Moving forward, Hepalink will continue to seek partnering opportunities to accelerate the expansion of its innovative drug business and develop a diverse range of commercial capabilities.”

 

James Spargo


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