Singapore-based precision medicine specialist Lucence, with a presence in Suzhou, Hong Kong, and Palo Alto (California, US), has entered into a partnership with China-based Innovent Biologics Inc., (HKG: 1801). This collaboration aims to enhance patient access to Innovent’s Pemazyre (pemigatinib), the world’s first targeted therapy for cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), in Hong Kong.
Expanding Access to Pemazyre through LiquidMARK Tests
Under the agreement, Innovent Bio will provide a certain number of Lucence’s LiquidMARK cholangiocarcinoma tests for patients in Hong Kong. LiquidMARK is an ultra-sensitive second-generation sequencing liquid biopsy test capable of identifying gene mutations, including the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion gene. Patients diagnosed with an FGFR2 fusion mutation through LiquidMARK cholangiocarcinoma detection will be eligible to receive pemigatinib as a second-line treatment option.
Pemigatinib’s Role in Targeted Therapy
Pemigatinib is an FGFR2-targeted protein kinase inhibitor originally discovered by US biotech Incyte Therapeutics. Innovent acquired the development and commercialization rights for Greater China under a deal in December 2018, along with two other small-molecule cancer therapies. Pemigatinib has received market approvals to treat previously treated adult advanced/metastatic or unresectable FGFR2 gene fusion/rearrangement cholangiocarcinoma in the US in April 2020, in Taiwan in June 2021, and in Hong Kong in January of the previous year. It obtained market approval in China in April 2022, becoming the first selective FGFR receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor in the country.-Fineline Info & Tech
