四川科伦药业股份有限公司

Core Viewpoint - Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that its subsidiary, Sichuan Kelun Botai Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., received breakthrough therapy designation from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its TROP2 ADC product, sac-TMT, in combination with PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, Tagolizumab, for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver gene mutations [2][3]. Group 1: Product and Clinical Development - Sac-TMT is a novel TROP2 ADC developed by Kelun Botai, targeting advanced solid tumors such as NSCLC, breast cancer (BC), gastric cancer (GC), and gynecological tumors [3][5]. - The drug utilizes a new linker and has a drug-antibody ratio (DAR) of 7.4, employing a topoisomerase I inhibitor as an effective payload to induce DNA damage in tumor cells [3][5]. - Sac-TMT has previously received four other breakthrough therapy designations for various indications, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC [3][4]. Group 2: Regulatory and Market Position - Sac-TMT is the first domestically developed ADC with global intellectual property rights and the first TROP2 ADC approved for lung cancer indications globally [5]. - The drug has already been approved for two indications in China, including treatment for advanced TNBC and EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC after prior treatment [4][5]. - Kelun Botai has initiated eight registration clinical studies in China, while Merck has started 14 ongoing global Phase III clinical studies for sac-TMT in various cancer types [5]. Group 3: Collaborations and Partnerships - In May 2022, Kelun Botai granted Merck exclusive rights to develop, use, manufacture, and commercialize sac-TMT outside Greater China [4]. - Tagolizumab, the PD-L1 monoclonal antibody used in combination with sac-TMT, is the first approved PD-L1 antibody for first-line treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China [6].