HONG KONG, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) (“Akeso” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the first patient has been successfully enrolled in the registration Phase III clinical trial (AK112-312/HARMONi-GI6) of ivonescimab in first-line treatment for advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
This randomized, controlled, multi-center Phase III clinical trial for first-line treatment of mCRC is one of the company’s key initiatives to address the significant unmet clinical need worldwide with ivonescimab.
Colorectal cancer remains the third most common cancer globally and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In 2022, over 1.9 million new cases were reported, with approximately 904,000 deaths. Of these, about 95% of mCRC cases are classified as microsatellite stable (MSS) or proficient mismatch repair (pMMR), which traditionally show poor responses to immunotherapy and the tumors are often referred to as an “immune desert.”
For first-line treatment of MSS/pMMR-type mCRC, which represents up to 95% of cases, several PD-1/L1 inhibitors have been explored in multiple international studies. However, the efficacy has been limited, and as of now, no first-line immunotherapy has been approved globally for patients with pMMR/MSS-type mCRC.
Chemotherapy combined with targeted therapies (such as bevacizumab, cetuximab, etc.) remains the standard first-line treatment for mCRC, though its overall efficacy is limited, with a five-year survival rate for advanced patients of less than 20%. Bevacizumab is the most well-established and clinically impactful treatment in the mCRC space. It is also one of the core indications of bevacizumab.
At the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, Professor Yanhong Deng from the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, presented promising Phase II efficacy data of ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy for first-line treatment of MSS/pMMR-type mCRC.
The combination of ivonescimab with FOLFOXIRI demonstrated compelling anti-tumor activity in this hard to treat patient population, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 81.8% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 100%. After a median follow-up of 9 months, the median progression-free survival (mPFS) was not reached, with a 9-month PFS rate of 81.4%. Regardless of KRAS/BRAF mutation status, patients can benefit from ivonescimab combination therapy.
The results published at the 2024 ESMO suggest that ivonescimab may offer a significant improvement over existing treatment options for MSS/pMMR mCRC patients. The Phase III trial AK112-312/HARMONi-GI6 can potentially further validate the clinical benefits of ivonescimab in this setting, offering a novel first-line immunotherapy treatment option for patients with advanced mCRC.
Forward-Looking Statement of Akeso, Inc.
This announcement by Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK, “Akeso”) contains “forward-looking statements”. These statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of Akeso’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any decision to purchase securities of Akeso. There can be no assurance that the drug candidate(s) indicated in this announcement or Akeso’s other pipeline candidates will obtain the required regulatory approvals or achieve commercial success. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in P.R.China, the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Akeso’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the Akeso’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
Akeso does not undertake any obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.
About Akeso
Akeso (HKEX: 9926.HK) is a leading biopharmaceutical company committed to the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of the world’s first or best-in-class innovative biological medicines. Founded in 2012, the company has created a unique integrated R&D innovation system with the comprehensive end-to-end drug development platform (ACE Platform) and bi-specific antibody drug development technology (Tetrabody) as the core, a GMP-compliant manufacturing system and a commercialization system with an advanced operation mode, and has gradually developed into a globally competitive biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative solutions. With fully integrated multi-functional platform, Akeso is internally working on a robust pipeline of over 50 innovative assets in the fields of cancer, autoimmune disease, inflammation, metabolic disease and other major diseases. Among them, 24 candidates have entered clinical trials (including 15 bispecific/multispecific antibodies and bispecific ADCs. Additionally, 7 new drugs are commercially available, and 2 new drugs with 2 new indications are under regulatory review for approval. Through efficient and breakthrough R&D innovation, Akeso always integrates superior global resources, develops the first-in-class and best-in-class new drugs, provides affordable therapeutic antibodies for patients worldwide, and continuously creates more commercial and social values to become a global leading biopharmaceutical enterprise.
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