Apollomics & LaunXP Announce Development & Commercialization Agreement for Vebreltinib

Apollomics Inc. and LaunXP International Co., Ltd. recently announced the parties have entered into an agreement for the development and commercialization in Asia (excluding mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau) (the LaunXP Territory) of vebreltinib, Apollomics’ proprietary c-Met inhibitor, in combination with an EGFR inhibitor (EGFRi) for the treatment of NSCLC. The EGFRi class of targeted kinase inhibitors is currently a foundational targeted therapy for the treatment of NSCLC and other tumor types.

“We are delighted to partner with LaunXP, who share our vision for the commercial opportunity for vebreltinib. EGFRi is currently the frontline treatment for many patients with NSCLC, and combining it with our c-Met inhibitor vebreltinib is expected to transform the standard of care,” said Dr. Guo-Liang Yu, CEO of Apollomics. “We believe that LaunXP can advance this development program rapidly in this patient population, bringing us closer to potentially improving outcomes for many patients with NSCLC. We will continue to seek opportunities to maximize the global opportunity for vebreltinib, both as a single agent and in combination approaches for the treatment of cancers.”

“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration with Apollomics. We believe the preclinical and clinical data supporting the combination of a c-Met inhibitor with an EGFRi is compelling,” said Dr. Chiu-Heng Chen, Chairman and President of LaunXP. “By delaying the emergence of mutations which cause EGFRi resistance, we hope to demonstrate clinically that better patient outcomes can be achieved.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Apollomics is to receive upfront payments totaling $10 million within 60 days of the date of the agreement. Apollomics is also eligible for regulatory and other pre-commercial milestones up to $50 million, and royalties on net product sales. LaunXP will be primarily responsible for the development of vebreltinib in combination with an EGFRi in the LaunXP territory for the treatment of NSCLC.

Vebreltinib is a potent, small molecule, orally bioavailable and highly selective c-MET inhibitor. It works by inhibiting the aberrant activation of the HGF/c-MET axis, a key pathway involved in tumor growth, proliferation, and the development of resistance to certain targeted therapies such as osimertinib. By targeting c-MET dysregulation, vebreltinib has demonstrated strong tumor inhibitory effect in a variety of preclinical c-MET dysregulated human gastric, hepatic, pancreatic and lung cancer xenograft animal models and patient-derived xenograft models (PDX).

Details on the Phase 1/2 SPARTA global clinical trial can be found on clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03175224. Apollomics is developing vebreltinib as single-agent cancer therapy in a variety of tumor types and actively assessing the potential of vebreltinib in combination with novel therapies. Avistone, Apollomics’ partner in China, has received conditional approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China for vebreltinib for multiple indications. Vebreltinib is currently under clinical investigation and not approved for any use in any other regions in the world.

Apollomics Inc. is an innovative clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of oncology therapies with the potential to be combined with other treatment options to harness the immune system and target specific molecular pathways to inhibit cancer. Apollomics’ lead program is vebreltinib (APL-101), a potent, selective c-Met inhibitor for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and other advanced tumors with c-Met alterations, which is currently in a Phase 2 multicohort clinical trial in the United States and over 10 other countries. For more information, please visit www.apollomicsinc.com.

LaunXP Biomedical Co., Ltd. is dedicated to the development of innovative cancer therapies, including 505(b)(1) and 505(b)(2) drugs. The company’s core value lies in its focus on preclinical research and clinical trial execution.

To date, LaunXP has successfully licensed in several 505(b)(1) drug technologies, one of which has progressed to a Phase I clinical trial. In the area of 505(b)(2) drug repositioning, the company is actively pursuing new indications, including a triple-negative breast cancer drug that has completed preclinical proof-of-concept studies.

LaunXP Biomedical will continue to strengthen its R&D capabilities and is committed to becoming a driving force in the field of cancer treatment innovation.