The 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE) saw US-based Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) announce a partnership with China-based Amoy Diagnostics Co., Ltd (AmoyDx) and Burning Rock Biotech Ltd (NASDAQ: BNR). The collaboration aims to enhance the development of companion diagnostics (CDx) for Retevmo (selpercatinib), the world’s first highly-selective RET kinase inhibitor, in China. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
Partnership Objectives
This is the first diagnostic collaboration with a China-based company by Eli Lilly. The partnership is designed to integrate respective resources in the tumor diagnosis and treatment field to accelerate access to novel cancer drugs, focusing on the whole course disease management needs of patients.
Retevmo Profile
Retevmo is a RET kinase inhibitor approved in the US in 2020 for RET mutation-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). A China market filing for the drug was accepted for review in November 2021 with priority review status. Eli Lilly and China-based Innovent Biologics Inc. (HKEX: 01801) further deepened their existing partnership in March this year, when Innovent signed a licensing deal to commercialize up to three Lilly drugs in mainland China, including exclusive commercialization rights to both Cyramza (ramucirumab) and Retevmo.
Recent Approvals
Last month, Retevmo won its first approvals in China for three indications: as a treatment for RET gene fusion-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients; RET-mutated advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) in adults and children 12 years of age and older; and RET gene fusion-positive adults and children 12 years and older with advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer (TC).-Fineline Info & Tech
