BEIJING China, SHANGHAI, China and SAN DIEGO USA, April 3, 2020 (PR NEWSWIRE) – Shenogen, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in China and beyond, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive collaboration and licensing agreement with Shanghai BioArdis Co., Ltd. and BioArdis LLC for the development and commercialization of BioArdis’ novel FGFR4 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 4) kinase inhibitor, BIO-1262/SNG-203, either as monotherapy or combination therapy in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. BioArdis will retain all rights to the licensed product in the rest of the world.

BIO-1262 is being evaluated as a potential new treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other solid tumors positive for FGFR4 and KLB (klotho beta) expression. HCC is the most common form of liver cancer. Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) play a key role in regulating cell survival and proliferation, and a growing body of evidence suggests they also play a role in cancer progression.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Shenogen will be responsible for conducting all development and commercialization activities in the territory related to the licensed product.

"Founded by seasoned executives with deep global and regional development experience and with a growing portfolio of potentially complementary cancer therapies, Shenogen is an ideal partner in China," said Ian Wisenberg, Chief Business Officer of BioArdis. "With recent regulatory reforms in China and the emergence of innovative companies like Shenogen, we believe this forward-looking collaboration has the potential to expand our ability to address significant patient needs in Greater China while supporting global development of BIO-1262/SNG-203."

"We are very excited about the exclusive co-development opportunity for BioArdis' selective FGFR4 inhibitor BIO-1262/SNG-203", commented Dr. Meng Kun, chairman of Beijing Shenogen Pharmaceutical Group, "Icaritin from Shenogen is currently in late stage of phase III clinical trials for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a single agent and in combination therapies. The addition of clinical development of BIO-1262/SNG-203 will strategically solidify our company’s leading position in the field of hepatocellular carcinoma treatments. We believe that BIO-1262/SNG-203 as a potentially best-in-class FGFR4 selective inhibitors can provide superior efficacy and better meet the needs of Chinese patients."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, liver cancer is the fifth most common form of cancer worldwide, with disease rates in Asia approximately 30 percent higher than in the U.S. due in part to untreated hepatitis B infections.

Shenogen Pharma Group is a drug discovery and development company founded in 2006 at Beijing, China. Shenogen aims to develop and commercialize first-in-class therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune diseases. With the mission of "Better Medicine, Better Life", we aim is to be a leading Chinese biopharmaceutical company with a growing worldwide footprint.

We have a seasoned management team leading a dynamic, creative and engaging workforce to strive hard towards our goals. A scientific advisory board composed of world-renowned scientists helps us to develop long-term strategies. Meanwhile, we are collaborating extensively with key research institutions and business partners to advance our pipeline.

For more information, please visit the website at www.shenogen.com

BioArdis LLC , founded in 2017 with operations in San Diego and Shanghai, is a biopharmaceutical company that strives to discover and develop life-changing medicines for patients while also bringing value to the healthcare ecosystem.

We strive to advance the discovery and development of first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics to validated targets for markets with significant medical need.

We are developing promising therapies and accelerating their development to pre-clinical development candidate (pre-IND enabling studies) leveraging our deep relationships with world-class scientists and business professionals with access to state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities.

For more information, please visit the website at www.bioardis.com

SOURCE: BioArdis