Partnership to launch new immuno-oncology therapy in Australia

Pharma News: To commercialise a new immuno-oncology therapy in Australia, Singapore and across Southeast Asia, biopharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Asia has signed a partnership agreement with CTTQ-Akeso and Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group.

Specialised Therapeutics’ targeted therapy Pemazyre (pemigatinib) was TGA approved in September 2022 to treat a rare bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. While Pemazyre is still not reimbursed in Australia due to lengthy and costly PBAC processes, it is currently being made available to eligible patients via a co-pay access program.

The company’s new immuno-oncology therapy Anniko (penpulimab) is an anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody currently under regulatory review by the US FDA for nasopharyngeal carcinoma – a difficult to treat form of head and neck cancer.

Under the terms of the arrangement, Specialised Therapeutics will be responsible for all marketing, regulatory and distribution activities in its key regions of Australia, Singapore and across Southeast Asia.

CTTQ-Akeso retains the rights of conducting any development work in relation to Anniko and Akeso retains all rights to product manufacture and supply.

Announcing the partnership, Specialised Therapeutics CEO Carlo Montagner said Anniko was the first immuno-oncology drug to be included in the company’s therapeutic portfolio and the arrangement was further endorsement of Specialised Therapeutics’s regional capabilities.

“Anniko will provide a new opportunity for patients in our regions with nasopharyngeal carcinoma – a very difficult-to-treat cancer – to be treated with an immune-based therapy,” he said.

“Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is native to Southeast Asia, affecting between 15 and 50 people in every 100,000 and with almost 37,000 new cases diagnosed annually in this region. Making Anniko available for this disease is a high priority.”

Akeso CEO, Michelle Xia, said the company looked forward to collaborating with Specialised Therapeutics and providing eligible cancer patients with world-class therapy.

“We trust that Specialised Therapeutics’s expertise in these regions, navigating complex regulatory channels will ensure our therapy reaches as many eligible patients as possible,” she said.

“We look forward to a successful and mutually beneficial partnership, working together with a shared goal of improving patient outcomes.”

Regulatory activities are currently in progress.

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