Core Viewpoint - Innovent Biologics and HUTCHMED announced the acceptance of a New Drug Application (NDA) for the combination of sintilimab and fruquintinib for treating locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients who have failed prior treatment with one tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) [1][2][3] Company Overview - Innovent Biologics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing high-quality medicines for major diseases, including oncology, and has launched 15 products in the market [14] - HUTCHMED is committed to discovering and commercializing targeted therapies and immunotherapies for cancer and immunological diseases, with its first three medicines marketed in China [17] Product Details - Sintilimab, marketed as TYVYT®, is a PD-1 inhibitor that has received approval for multiple indications in China, including its recent NDA for advanced RCC [5][6] - Fruquintinib is a selective oral inhibitor of VEGFRs, co-developed by HUTCHMED and Eli Lilly, and is approved for treating metastatic colorectal cancer in China [7][9] Clinical Study Insights - The NDA is supported by data from the FRUSICA-2 study, which demonstrated significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and duration of response (DoR) for the combination therapy [2][3] - The FRUSICA-2 study met its primary endpoint, and the safety profile of the combination was found to be tolerable with no new safety signals [2][3] Market Context - In 2022, approximately 435,000 new kidney cancer cases were diagnosed globally, with around 74,000 cases in China, indicating a significant unmet medical need for effective treatments [4] - The combination therapy aims to address the challenges faced by RCC patients who have limited treatment options after failing first-line therapies [3][12]

Core Viewpoint - Innovent Biologics has initiated a pivotal study for IBI363, a first-in-class PD-1/IL-2α-bias bispecific antibody fusion protein, aimed at treating unresectable locally advanced or metastatic mucosal or acral melanoma, marking a significant advancement in immuno-oncology therapy in China [1][4][8]. Group 1: Study Details - The study is a randomized, multicenter trial comparing IBI363 monotherapy to pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) in patients who have not received prior systemic therapy [1]. - The primary endpoint of the study is progression-free survival (PFS), evaluated by an Independent Radiology Review Committee (IRRC) using RECIST v1.1 criteria [1]. Group 2: Efficacy and Safety - IBI363 has shown promising efficacy signals in earlier clinical trials, with an overall objective response rate (ORR) of 61.5% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 84.6%, indicating its potential superiority over current immunotherapy standards [2][6]. - The safety profile of IBI363 is manageable, with common treatment-related adverse events including arthralgia, anemia, thyroid dysfunction, and rash, all of which are manageable with routine clinical care [3]. Group 3: Clinical Need and Market Context - Melanoma has a high mortality rate in China, with a median PFS of only around three months for IO-naïve melanoma patients, highlighting a significant unmet clinical need [4]. - Non-cutaneous subtypes like mucosal melanoma are particularly resistant to existing immunotherapies, underscoring the importance of developing new treatment options like IBI363 [4][9]. Group 4: Company Overview - Innovent Biologics, founded in 2011, focuses on developing high-quality biopharmaceuticals for various diseases, including cancer, and has launched 14 products to date [10]. - The company is actively pursuing global development for IBI363 across multiple tumor types, aiming to extend the benefits of its innovations to patients worldwide [4][10].