InnoCare Pharma has achieved two significant regulatory milestones in China's hematologic oncology landscape, securing priority review status for its tafasitamab combination therapy while advancing a novel BCL2 inhibitor into clinical development for acute myeloid leukemia.
NMPA Grants Priority Review for Tafasitamab Combination
The China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has accepted and granted priority review to InnoCare's biologics license application for tafasitamab in combination with lenalidomide. The treatment targets adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).
"Today's BLA acceptance marks an important milestone for InnoCare," said Dr. Jasmine Cui, Co-founder, Chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare. "DLBCL is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma globally, and there is a significant unmet need for DLBCL patients in China. We believe that tafasitamab regimen will bring a novel treatment therapy to DLBCL patients in China."
The combination therapy has already demonstrated regulatory success internationally, receiving accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency for the same indication. In Hong Kong, the treatment has been approved for eligible DLBCL patients, and prescriptions have been issued through early access programs at Ruijin Hainan Hospital and Guangdong Clifford Hospital.
Addressing Critical Unmet Need in DLBCL
DLBCL represents the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with its incidence accounting for 31% to 34% of NHL cases globally. The disease burden is particularly pronounced in China, where DLBCL accounts for 45.8% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas, underscoring the significant therapeutic gap the tafasitamab combination aims to address.
Tafasitamab operates as a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19-targeting monoclonal antibody that incorporates an XmAb engineered Fc domain. The therapy mediates B-cell lysis through apoptosis and immune effector mechanisms, including Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC) and Antibody-Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis (ADCP).
BCL2 Inhibitor Advances into Clinical Development
Separately, InnoCare announced approval of its Investigational New Drug application to conduct clinical trials of BCL2 inhibitor ICP-248 in combination with azacitidine for acute myeloid leukemia treatment in China. This development expands the company's hemato-oncology pipeline with a complementary mechanism of action targeting a different pathway in blood cancers.
Acute myeloid leukemia represents a malignant hematological disease originating from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, accounting for approximately 80% of acute leukemia cases in adults. The disease risk increases with age and predominantly affects middle-aged and elderly populations, though it also represents 15-20% of pediatric leukemia cases and 80% of leukemia in neonates and infants.
Novel Mechanism Targeting Apoptosis Pathway
ICP-248 functions as a novel, orally bioavailable BCL2-selective inhibitor designed to restore programmed cell death mechanisms. BCL2 serves as an important regulatory protein in the apoptosis pathway, with its abnormal expression linked to the development of various hematologic malignancies. The inhibitor achieves anti-tumor effects by selectively targeting BCL2 and restoring natural cell death processes.
"With strong pipeline in hemato-oncology, InnoCare is dedicated to developing therapeutics with diverse mechanisms of action to achieve comprehensive coverage of blood tumor indications," Dr. Cui explained. "ICP-248 is an important global asset of our company in the field of hematology. We will accelerate clinical development and look forward to bringing greater benefits to patients with hematological malignancies early."
Strategic Pipeline Development
The dual regulatory advances reflect InnoCare's strategic approach to building a comprehensive hemato-oncology portfolio. The tafasitamab combination leverages CD19-targeting immunotherapy for B-cell malignancies, while ICP-248 addresses myeloid malignancies through BCL2 pathway inhibition, creating complementary coverage across different blood cancer types.
InnoCare's collaboration with Incyte, established in August 2021, provides exclusive commercialization rights for tafasitamab in hematology and oncology throughout Greater China. This partnership builds on the global development framework established between MorphoSys and Incyte, with Incyte obtaining exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize tafasitamab in February 2024.
