— First medicine approved under new “1+” mechanism by HKSAR Government, providing an important treatment option to patients in Hong Kong —

— ELUNATE^® is the first oral targeted therapy approved in Hong Kong for metastatic colorectal cancer regardless of biomarker status or prior types of therapies in almost a decade —

— Fruquintinib already approved in mainland China, Macau SAR and the United States —

Hong Kong, Shanghai & Florham Park, NJ —  Tuesday, January 30, 2024: HUTCHMED (China) Limited (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM, HKEX:​13) (“HUTCHMED”) today announces that the marketing approval of ELUNATE^® (fruquintinib) by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong for the treatment of adult patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (“CRC”). ELUNATE^® is a selective oral inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (“VEGF”) receptors -1, -2 and -3, which play a pivotal role in blocking tumor angiogenesis.

This marks the first medicine to be approved under the new mechanism for registration of new drugs (“1+” mechanism) announced by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“SAR”) in October last year. The mechanism officially commenced on November 1, 2023. It allows drugs which are beneficial for treatment of life-threatening or severely debilitating diseases to apply for registration for use in Hong Kong, if they have supporting local clinical data and recognition from relevant experts, when they have been approved by only one reference drug regulatory authority (instead of two otherwise). HUTCHMED submitted the application based on the approval of ELUNATE^® from the China National Medical Products Administration (“NMPA”) supported with local clinical data. Fruquintinib was also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in November 2023.

“We have made it a priority to do everything we can to bring the benefits of our innovative medicines to Hong Kong, our Company’s birthplace, and are excited to have our first medicine now approved here,” said Dr Karen Atkin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of HUTCHMED. “We appreciate the streamlined drug registration process, showing the efficiency and commitment of the Hong Kong government to accelerate patient access to novel therapies. As we advance our pipeline of drug candidates in other cancer types and immunological diseases, we look forward to bringing additional therapies to benefit patients in Hong Kong.”

This approval indication is for patients with metastatic CRC who have previously received fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, and those who have previously received or are not suitable for receiving anti-VEGF therapy or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy (RAS wild-type).

“CRC is the second most common cancer type in Hong Kong with limited effective treatment options available, especially for previously treated metastatic CRC patients,” said Dr Caron Li, Vice President, Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong and Regional Markets of HUTCHMED. “Fruquintinib, as a third-line treatment administered orally, demonstrated clinically meaningful benefits and a consistent safety profile in global clinical trials. We are honored to be the first through the “1+” mechanism and look forward to bringing this important treatment option to patients in Hong Kong as quickly as possible.

Dr Stephen Chan, an academic and a specialist in Medical Oncology, said, “Cancer remains to be a major challenge for the patients, their families and us as healthcare providers, with a rising trend in incidence over the past decades. The complex nature of cancer has made it particularly arduous for researchers to bring new advancements to the treatment.  It is truly encouraging to see homegrown innovations taking on an increasingly active role to address the global unmet medical needs. We are excited to bring such meaningful treatment options to the cancer patients in Hong Kong.”

Fruquintinib will be sold and marketed in Hong Kong by HUTCHMED under the brand name ELUNATE^®. It has been developed and commercialized in mainland China in partnership with Eli Lilly & Company. Takeda has the exclusive worldwide license to fruquintinib outside of mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Takeda markets fruquintinib in the United States under the brand name FRUZAQLA™. Fruquintinib was added to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) shortly after FDA approval.

About CRC in Hong Kong

CRC is a cancer that starts in either the colon or rectum. It was the second most common cancer in Hong Kong in 2021, with about 5,900 new patients diagnosed with CRC, and associated with about 2,300 deaths.^[1] Although early-stage CRC can be surgically resected, metastatic CRC remains an area of high unmet need with poor outcomes and limited treatment options. Some patients with metastatic CRC may benefit from personalized therapeutic strategies based on molecular characteristics; however, most patients have tumors that do not harbor actionable mutations.^{[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]}

About Fruquintinib

Fruquintinib is a selective oral inhibitor of VEGF receptors (“VEGFR”) -1, -2 and -3. VEGFR inhibitors play a pivotal role in blocking tumor angiogenesis. Fruquintinib was designed to have enhanced selectivity that limits off-target kinase activity, allowing for high drug exposure, sustained target inhibition, and flexibility for the potential use as part of combination therapy. Fruquintinib has demonstrated a manageable safety profile and is being investigated in combination with other anti-cancer therapies.

About Fruquintinib Approval in China

Fruquintinib was approved for marketing in China in September 2018, where it is co-marketed by HUTCHMED and Lilly under the brand name ELUNATE^®. It was included in the China National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in January 2020. The approval was based on data from the FRESCO study, a Phase III pivotal registration trial of fruquintinib in 416 patients with metastatic CRC in China, which were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA. Since its launch in China, fruquintinib has benefited more than 80,000 colorectal cancer patients as of mid-2023.

About Fruquintinib Approval in the United States

Fruquintinib received approval in the United States in November 2023, where it is marketed by Takeda under the brand name FRUZAQLA™. The approval was based on data from two large Phase III trials: the multi-regional FRESCO-2 trial, data from which were published in The Lancet, along with the FRESCO trial conducted in China. The trials investigated fruquintinib plus best supportive care versus placebo plus best supportive care in patients with previously treated mCRC. Both FRESCO and FRESCO-2 met their primary and key secondary efficacy endpoints and showed consistent benefit among a total of 734 patients treated with fruquintinib. Safety profiles were consistent across trials.

About HUTCHMED

HUTCHMED (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM; HKEX:​13) is an innovative, commercial-stage, biopharmaceutical company. It is committed to the discovery and global development and commercialization of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases. It has approximately 5,000 personnel across all its companies, at the center of which is a team of about 1,800 in oncology/immunology. Since inception it has focused on bringing cancer drug candidates from in-house discovery to patients around the world, with its first three medicines marketed in China, the first of which is also marketed in the U.S. For more information, please visit: www.hutch-med.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect HUTCHMED’s current expectations regarding future events, including its expectations regarding the therapeutic potential of fruquintinib for the treatment of patients with CRC and the further clinical development of fruquintinib in this and other indications. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, assumptions regarding the efficacy and safety profile of fruquintinib; HUTCHMED and/or its licensees’ ability to fund, implement and complete its further clinical development and commercialization plans for fruquintinib; the timing of these events; HUTCHMED and its licensees’ ability to satisfy their obligations; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials or the regulatory pathway for fruquintinib; HUTCHMED and its licensees’ ability to successfully develop, manufacture and commercialize fruquintinib; and the impact of COVID-19 on general economic, regulatory and political conditions. In addition, as certain studies rely on the use of other drug products as combination therapeutics with fruquintinib, such risks and uncertainties include assumptions regarding the safety, efficacy, supply and continued regulatory approval of these therapeutics. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the plan to develop, manufacture and commercialize fruquintinib; and HUTCHMED’s strategy, goals and anticipated milestones, business plans and focus. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. For further discussion of these and other risks, see HUTCHMED’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, on AIM and on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. HUTCHMED undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Medical Information

This press release contains information about products that may not be available in all countries, or may be available under different trademarks, for different indications, in different dosages, or in different strengths. Nothing contained herein should be considered a solicitation, promotion or advertisement for any prescription drugs including the ones under development.

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Reference

[1] Hong Kong Cancer Registry, Hospital Authority. Colorectal Cancer in 2021. Available at https://www3.ha.org.hk/cancereg/pdf/factsheet/2021/colorectum_2021.pdf

[2] Bando H, et al. Therapeutic landscape and future direction of metastatic colorectal cancer. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 20(5)306-322. doi:10.1038/s41575-022-00736-1.

[3] D’Haene N, et al. Clinical application of targeted next-generation sequencing for colorectal cancer patients: a multicentric Belgian experience. Oncotarget. 2018;9(29):20761-20768. Published 2018 Apr 17. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.25099.

[4] Venderbosch, et al. Mismatch repair status and braf mutation status in metastatic colorectal cancer patients: A pooled analysis of the Cairo, Cairo2, coin, and Focus Studies. Clinical Cancer Res.,2014; 20(20):5322–5330. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-0332.

[5] Koopman, M., et al. Deficient mismatch repair system in patients with sporadic advanced colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer. 209;100(2), 266–273. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6604867.

[6] Ahcene Djaballah S, et al. HER2 in Colorectal Cancer: The Long and Winding Road From Negative Predictive Factor to Positive Actionable Target. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2022;42:1-14. doi:10.1200/EDBK_351354.

— NDA accepted and granted Priority Review following its Breakthrough Therapy designation granted in January 2022 —

— NDA is supported by data from successful Phase III ESLIM-01 trial in patients with adult primary immune thrombocytopenia who have received at least one previous therapy —

Hong Kong, Shanghai & Florham Park, NJ — Thursday, January 11, 2023: HUTCHMED (China) Limited (“HUTCHMED”) (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM; HKEX:​13) today announces that the New Drug Application (“NDA”) for sovleplenib for the treatment of adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (“ITP”) has been accepted for review and granted priority review by the China National Medical Products Administration (“NMPA”). Sovleplenib is a novel, selective, oral inhibitor targeting spleen tyrosine kinase (“Syk”), being developed for the treatment of hematological malignancies and immune diseases.

The NDA is supported by data from ESLIM-01, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase III trial in China of sovleplenib in 188 adult patients with primary ITP who have received at least one prior line of standard therapy. In August 2023, HUTCHMED announced that the trial had met its primary endpoint of demonstrating a clinically meaningful and a statistically significant increase in durable response rate in patients treated with sovleplenib as compared to patients treated with placebo. Secondary endpoints including response rate and safety were also met.  Full results will be published in due course.  Results from the proof of concept study that led to the ESLIM-01 study were published in The Lancet Haematology. 

The NMPA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation (“BTD”) to sovleplenib for the indication studied in ESLIM-01 in January 2022. The NMPA granted this designation to sovleplenib as a new drug that could treat a serious condition for which there are no effective treatment options, and where clinical evidence demonstrates significant advantages over existing therapies.

“We are pleased to have initiated the rolling submission of an NDA for sovleplenib in China as we look to bring this novel treatment to ITP patients,” said Dr. Weiguo Su, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of HUTCHMED. “Our submission includes data from the successful Phase III ESLIM-01 trial in China which demonstrated a durable response rate of sovleplenib for patients. There is a significant need for new therapies in adult primary ITP which can significantly impair the quality of life for patients.”

About Sovleplenib

Sovleplenib is a novel, selective inhibitor of Syk for once daily oral administration. Syk is a major component in B-cell receptor and FcR signaling and is an established target for the treatment of multiple subtypes of B-cell lymphomas and autoimmune disorders.

Results from the Phase I/II study in China study published in The Lancet Haematology showed a rapid and durable increase in platelet counts in previously treated patients with ITP. Among the patients who received the recommend Phase II dose of 300mg once daily (“RP2D”), 40% of patients experienced durable response, as defined by platelet count equal to or exceeding 50×10⁹/L in four out of six visits during week 14 to 24 of the study. All RP2D patients had been previously treated with glucocorticoid steroid, and 80% were previously treated with thrombopoietin or thrombopoietin receptor agonists. Among the patients who received treatment at all doses through week 24 of the study, treatment-emergent adverse events (“TEAE”) led to dose reduction or interruption in 7% patients, and no dose discontinuation. No TEAEs of grade 3 or above occurred in more than one patient through week 24 of the study.

Sovleplenib is currently under clinical investigation and its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority.

HUTCHMED currently retains all rights to sovleplenib worldwide. In addition to ITP, sovleplenib is also being studied in warm antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia (NCT05535933) and indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NCT03779113).

About ITP

ITP is an autoimmune disorder characterized by immunologic destruction of platelets and decreased platelet production. Patients with ITP are at increased risk of excessive bleeding and bruising.^[1] ITP is also associated with fatigue (reported in up to 39% of adults with ITP) and impaired quality of life.^{[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]} The incidence of primary ITP in adults is 3.3/100,000 adults per year with a prevalence of 9.5 per 100,000 adults.^[7] Based on this prevalence rate, approximately 110,000 patients are estimated to be living with primary ITP in China, in addition to 56,000 patients in the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan. It has been estimated that as many as 145,000 patients are living with chronic ITP in major pharmaceutical markets excluding China.^[8]

Adult ITP is a heterogeneous disease that can persist for years, even with best available care, and treatments are infrequently curative. Despite availability of several treatments with differing mechanisms of action, chronicity of disease continues to be a problem. Many patients develop resistance to treatment and thereby are prone to relapse.^[9] Thus, there remains a significant population of patients who have limited sensitivity to currently available agents and are in need of new treatments.

As platelet destruction in ITP is mediated by Syk-dependent phagocytosis of FcγR-bound platelets, Syk inhibition represents a promising approach to management of ITP.^[10]

About HUTCHMED

HUTCHMED (Nasdaq/AIM: ​HCM; HKEX: ​13) is an innovative, commercial-stage, biopharmaceutical company. It is committed to the discovery, global development and commercialization of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases. It has approximately 5,000 personnel across all its companies, at the center of which is a team of about 1,800 in oncology/immunology. Since inception, HUTCHMED has focused on bringing cancer drug candidates from in-house discovery to patients around the world, with its first three oncology medicines now approved marketed in China, the first of which is also marketed in the U.S. For more information, please visit: www.hutch‑med.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect HUTCHMED’s current expectations regarding future events, including its expectations regarding the submission of a NDA for sovleplenib for the treatment of ITP with the NMPA and the timing of such submission, therapeutic potential of sovleplenib for the treatment of patients with ITP and the further development of sovleplenib in this and other indications. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, assumptions regarding the timing and outcome of clinical studies and the sufficiency of clinical data to support NDA approval of sovleplenib for the treatment of patients with ITP or other indications in China or other jurisdictions, its potential to gain approvals from regulatory authorities on an expedited basis or at all, the safety profile of sovleplenib, HUTCHMED’s ability to fund, implement and complete its further clinical development and commercialization plans for sovleplenib, the timing of these events, and the impact of  COVID-19 on general economic, regulatory and political conditions. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. For further discussion of these and other risks, see HUTCHMED’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and on AIM. HUTCHMED undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Reference

[1] Zufferey A, Kapur R, Semple JW. Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Mechanisms in Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP). J. Clin. Med. 2017, 6(2), 16.

[2] McMillan R, Bussel JB, et al. Self-reported health-related quality of life in adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Am J Hematol. 2008 Feb;83(2):150-4.

[3] Snyder CF, Mathias SD, Cella D, et al. Health-related quality of life of immune thrombocytopenic purpura patients: results from a web‑based survey. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 Oct;24(10):2767-76.

[4] Doobaree IU, Nandigam R, Bennett D, et al. Thromboembolism in adults with primary immune thrombocytopenia: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Eur J Haematol. 2016 Oct;97(4):321-30.

[5] Sarpatwari A, Bennett D, Logie JW, et al. Thromboembolic events among adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia in the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database. Haematologica. 2010 Jul;95(7):1167-75.

[6] Sarpatwari A, Watson S, Erqou S, et al. Health-related lifestyle in adults and children with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Br J Haematol. 2010 Oct;151(2):189-91.

[7] Lambert MP, Gernsheimer TB. Clinical updates in adult immune thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2017 May 25;129(21):2829-2835.

[8] Clarivate Landscape & Forecast for Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, 2018.

[9] Provan D, Arnold DM, Bussel JB, et al. Updated international consensus report on the investigation and management of primary immune thrombocytopenia. Blood Adv. 2019;3(22):3780-3817.

[10] Crowley MT, Costello PS, Fitzer-Attas CJ et al. A critical role for Syk in signal transduction and phagocytosis mediated by Fcγ receptors on macrophages. J. Exp. Med. 186(7), 1027–1039 (1997).

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