NEW YORK – Zai Lab and Turning Point said on Monday that Zai has obtained exclusive rights to TPX-0022, Turning Point’s MET, SRC, and CSF1R inhibitor, in Greater China.
The agreement allows Shanghai-based Zai to develop and commercialize TPX-0022 in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. San Diego-based Turning Point will receive a $25 million upfront payment and could receive up to $336 million in future milestone payments. Turning Point is also eligible to receive mid-teen- to low-twenty-percent royalties based on annual net sales of TPX-0022 in Greater China. The company also has the right of first negotiation to license an oncology drug developed by Zai.
Turning Point reported early data from a Phase I study of TPX-0022 in MET-altered solid tumors in October. The Phase I SHIELD-1 study enrolled patients with previously treated, advanced or metastatic solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, gastroesophageal junction or gastric cancer, and glioblastoma. Patients' tumors had to have MET alterations, including exon 14 deletions, amplifications, fusions, or activating kinase mutations.
According to the results presented in October, nine of 15 evaluable patients achieved a clinical benefit from the drug, which the investigators defined as a confirmed or unconfirmed partial response or stable disease, and six patients remained on treatment for a duration of 7.6 weeks to 34 weeks.
"The higher incidence of MET-driven cancers – particularly in gastric and lung cancer – in Asian countries led us to initiate the development of TPX-0022 in Greater China following our encouraging initial data from the Phase I SHIELD-1 study," Athena Countouriotis, Turning Point CEO, said in a statement. "We have great confidence in Zai Lab as our partner to advance this important drug candidate in a key region of the world. Zai Lab also has a promising discovery pipeline and we are pleased to receive the right of first negotiation for a drug candidate from Zai's discovery pipeline."
The deal expands Zai and Turning Point's existing collaboration, which began in July. Under that initial agreement, Zai licensed Turning Point’s lead drug candidate, repotrectinib, in Greater China.