Axitinib

SHANGHAI, Jan. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (Junshi Biosciences, HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, TopAlliance Biosciences Inc. (TopAlliance Biosciences), announced that toripalimab, the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody self-developed by the company, has obtained the marketing authorization issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (the “TGA”). The New Chemical Entity (the “NCE”) application for toripalimab in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, for the first-line treatment of adults with metastatic or recurrent, locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (“NPC”) and toripalimab, as a single agent, for the treatment of adults with recurrent unresectable or metastatic NPC with disease progression on or after a platinum-containing chemotherapy has been approved by TGA. Toripalimab has become the first and only immuno-onocology treatment for NPC in Australia. This NCE application was submitted under Project Orbis. Project Orbis, initiated and advocated by the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) of the US Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), provides a collaborative mechanism and framework among the FDA and regulatory authorities in other countries and regions allowing different regulatory authorities to jointly review the applications for registration of oncology drugs. Toripalimab was the first domestic oncology drug included in Project Orbis. Additionally, the TGA also granted an orphan drug designation to toripalimab for the treatment of NPC, which has accelerated the review and registration process to a certain extent. General Manager and CEO of Junshi Biosciences, Dr. Jianjun ZOU, said, “Toripalimab has made significant strides in its internationalization. As of today, toripalimab has been approved in 35 countries across four continents and offers hope to patients worldwide. This recent approval in Australia is not only extremely meaningful to the nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients there, but it also represents our company’s continued efforts toward globalization. In the following days, we will closely collaborate with our partner Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory to expedite toripalimab’s availability in Australia, ensuring that local patients can benefit from this treatment as soon as possible.” M.V. Ramana, CEO of Branded Markets, Dr. Reddy’s, said: “This approval is a significant milestone in our collaborative efforts with Junshi Biosciences to make their novel treatment available to patients around the world. Toripalimab is the first and only immuno-onocology treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Australia, and meets a significant unmet need for patients. In oncology, our offerings aim to build an end-to-end ecosystem of care – access to current standard of care cancer medicines across multiple countries globally, innovation in formulations, strategic collaborations for novel innovative molecules, beyond-the-pill support such as nutrition and digital tools. Following our successful launch of toripalimab in India, we are looking forward to bringing it to patients in Australia and other markets in the coming days.” NPC is a malignant tumor that occurs in the epithelium mucosae of the nasopharynx and is one of the most common types of head and neck cancers. According to GLOBOCAN 2022 statistics, the number of newly diagnosed NPC cases in 2022 exceeded 120,000 worldwide. Toripalimab is the only preferred regimen recommended for the comprehensive treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines (Version 1.2025) for head and neck cancers. The approval of the NPC indications is primarily based on the results from JUPITER-02 (a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational multi-center Phase 3 clinical study for the first-line treatment of NPC, NCT03581786), and the results from POLARIS-02 (a multi-center, open-label, pivotal Phase 2 clinical study for second-line or later treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC, NCT02915432). The JUPITER-02 study is the first international multi-center, double-blind, randomized Phase 3 clinical study in NPC immunotherapy with the largest sample size, and is the world’s first Phase 3 clinical study in which there is preset statistical verification (Type I error control) for Overall Survival (“OS”) in first-line immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for NPC compared to chemotherapy alone that demonstrated a survival benefit. The results of the study were presented in an oral report during the Plenary Session of the 2021 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (#LBA2), and were subsequently featured on the cover of Nature Medicine (IF: 58.7). The results were also published in full in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, IF: 63.1). The results of the study showed that, compared to chemotherapy alone, toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression by 48% and the risk of death by 37%. The median progression-free survival (“PFS”) in the toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy group was prolonged by 13.2 months compared to chemotherapy alone, from 8.2 months to 21.4 months. In addition, patients treated with this combined therapy achieved a higher objective response rate (“ORR”) and longer duration of response (“DoR”), with a complete response (CR) rate of 26.7%, and no new safety signal was identified. Long-term survival follow-up data was presented at ASCO 2024, with a 5-year survival rate of 52%. The POLARIS-02 results were published online in January 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The results showed that toripalimab demonstrated durable antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with recurrent or metastatic NPC who had failed prior chemotherapy, with an ORR of 20.5%, a DoR of 12.8 months, and a median OS of 17.4 months. As of today, toripalimab has been approved for marketing in over 35 countries and regions in 4 continents, including China, Hong Kong SAR, the United States, the European Union, the UK, Australia, India, Jordan, etc. About Toripalimab Toripalimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody developed for its ability to block PD-1 interactions with its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and to induce PD-1 receptor internalization (endocytosis function). Blocking PD-1 interactions with PD-L1 and PD-L2 promotes the immune system’s ability to attack and kill tumor cells. More than forty company-sponsored toripalimab clinical studies covering more than fifteen indications have been conducted globally by Junshi Biosciences, including in China, the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. Ongoing or completed pivotal clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of toripalimab cover a broad range of tumor types, including cancers of the lung, nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder, breast, liver, kidney, and skin. In the Chinese mainland, toripalimab was the first domestic anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody approved for marketing (approved in China as TUOYI®). Currently, there are ten approved indications for toripalimab in the Chinese mainland: unresectable or metastatic melanoma after failure of standard systemic therapy;recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after failure of at least two lines of prior systemic therapy;locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that failed platinum-containing chemotherapy or progressed within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy;in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine as the first-line treatment for patients with locally recurrent or metastatic NPC;in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced/recurrent or distant metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC);in combination with pemetrexed and platinum as the first-line treatment in EGFR mutation-negative and ALK mutation-negative, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC);in combination with chemotherapy as perioperative treatment and subsequently with monotherapy as adjuvant therapy for the treatment of adult patients with resectable stage IIIA-IIIB NSCLC;in combination with axitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with medium to high risk unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC);in combination with etoposide plus platinum for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC);in combination with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound) for the first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The 10 indications have been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) (2024 Edition). Toripalimab is the only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody included in the NRDL for the treatment of melanoma, perioperative treatment of NSCLC, treatment of RCC and treatment of TNBC. In October 2024, toripalimab for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC was approved in Hong Kong SAR, China. Internationally, toripalimab has been approved for marketing in the United States, the European Union, India, the UK, Jordan, Australia and other countries and regions. In addition, toripalimab BLAs are under reviews in many countries around the globe, including the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA). About Junshi Biosciences Founded in December 2012, Junshi Biosciences (HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics. The company has established a diversified R&D pipeline comprising over 50 drug candidates, with five therapeutic focus areas covering cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, neurological, and infectious diseases. Five of the company’s products have received approvals in China and international markets, one of which is toripalimab, China’s first domestically produced and independently developed anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody. Toripalimab has been approved in over 35 countries and regions including China, the US, and Europe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Junshi Biosciences actively shouldered the social responsibilities of a Chinese pharmaceutical company through its involvement in developing etesevimab, MINDEWEI®, and other novel therapies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. With a mission of “providing patients with world-class, trustworthy, affordable, and innovative drugs,” Junshi Biosciences is “In China, For Global.” At present, the company boasts approximately 2,500 employees in the United States (San Francisco and Maryland) and China (Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, etc.). For more information, please visit: http://www.junshipharma.com. Junshi Biosciences Contact Information IR Team:Junshi Biosciencesinfo@junshipharma.com+ 86 021-6105 8800 PR Team:Junshi BiosciencesZhi Lizhi_li@junshipharma.com+ 86 021-6105 8800

311 subjects enrolled across various stages of loading and randomization in SOL-R, Ocular’s second registrational trial of AXPAXLI™ in wet AMD, as of January 10, 2024 First wet AMD registrational trial, SOL-1, completed randomization in December 2024 with topline data anticipated in Q4 2025 Company plans to seek FDA feedback in H1 2025 on clinical trial design for AXPAXLI in NPDR BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCUL, “Ocular”, the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company committed to redefining the retina experience, outlined exceptional clinical progress across its registrational program for AXPAXLI™ in wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), plans to advance AXPAXLI in non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and the Company’s strategic outlook for 2025 in its presentation at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM 2025). “Wet AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S., but it does not need to be. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the working population in the U.S., but it does not need to be. We have a proven target, VEGF, and proven treatments for decades, the anti-VEGFs. Unfortunately, we also have a treatment regimen that is simply not sustainable for many patients. Our mission at Ocular is to correct this,” said Pravin U. Dugel, MD, Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocular Therapeutix. “Last year, we started with wet AMD. We recruited SOL-1 well ahead of schedule and, yesterday at JPM 2025, I announced that we have already enrolled 311 patients in various stages of loading and randomization in SOL-R, our second registrational study in wet AMD. The historic pace of recruitment in both studies underscores the enthusiasm in the retina community for AXPAXLI. In 2025, we will also target diabetic retinopathy. Our HELIOS study has demonstrated that a single injection of AXPAXLI has the potential to reduce the risk of vision loss in NPDR to literally zero at 48 weeks. In HELIOS, every single patient with non-center involved DME treated with a single injection of AXPAXLI, improved at week 48. Therefore, AXPAXLI has the potential to not only prevent vision loss, but also to treat existing vision threatening complications, such as DME.” Dr. Dugel concluded, “In 2025, Ocular will target the two most impactful global diseases in retina, wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy. We believe we have the infrastructure, finances and expertise to succeed and redefine the global retina experience.” J.P. Morgan Presentation Highlights Complementary wet AMD registrational program. Ocular’s wet AMD registrational program for AXPAXLI is comprised of two complementary studies, SOL-1 and SOL-R, strategically designed with the intent of de-risking patient populations, aligning with regulatory standards, enhancing each other’s enrollment, and providing a broad evaluation of AXPAXLI’s durability, repeatability, and flexibility. SOL-1 is being conducted under a Special Protocol Agreement (SPA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while SOL-R received alignment with the FDA through a written Type C response. The FDA previously agreed that together, these studies could constitute two adequate and well-controlled trials to support a potential New Drug Application (NDA) and label for AXPAXLI in wet AMD. SOL-1 (Phase 3, wet AMD) randomization complete in December 2024. In total, more than 300 subjects were randomized across greater than 100 clinical trial sites located in the U.S. and Argentina. SOL-1 is a superiority trial comparing a single AXPAXLI injection to a single aflibercept (2 mg) injection in treatment naïve wet AMD subjects with a nine-month primary endpoint and up to two-year follow-up. SOL-1 is the first registrational trial for AXPAXLI in wet AMD and was designed to establish AXPAXLI’s durability, and potentially enable a superiority claim on a potential future label. The Company expects topline results for SOL-1 to be available in the fourth quarter of 2025. SOL-R (Phase 3, wet AMD) outstanding enrollment progress to date. 311 subjects enrolled across various stages of loading and randomization in the U.S. and South America as of January 10, 2024. SOL-R is a non-inferiority trial comparing repeat AXPAXLI injections every six months to repeat aflibercept (2 mg) injections every eight weeks, with a 56-week primary endpoint. SOL-R is the second registrational trial for AXPAXLI in wet AMD and was designed to inform real world treatment decisions, establish AXPAXLI’s safety and efficacy with repeat dosing, and provide commercially relevant data. Ocular plans to seek FDA feedback in H1 2025 on the clinical trial design for AXPAXLI in NPDR. Following positive results from the Phase 1 HELIOS trial of AXPAXLI shared in 2024, Ocular plans to continue clinical development in NPDR. In the HELIOS trial, after a single AXPAXLI injection, no patients receiving AXPAXLI (N=13) developed a vision threatening complication (VTC) at 48 weeks compared to nearly 40% in the sham-treated patients (N= 8). Further, all patients in the AXPAXLI arm who presented with non-center-involved diabetic macular edema (non-CI-DME) at baseline (N=8) had improvement in their DME based on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) image analysis at week 48 compared to none of the sham-treated subjects (N=3). All subjects who received AXPAXLI showed diabetic retinopathy severity scale (DRSS) improvement or stability, while any worsening of DRSS occurred only in sham-treated subjects. Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, FASRS, Director of Clinic Research at Sierra Eye Associates, Reno, Nevada noted, “Real-world evidence shows that 40 to 50% of patients with wet AMD discontinue their injections due to the high treatment burden, putting them at increased risk of blindness. This issue is even more pronounced in patients with diabetic retinopathy. My team, our patients, and I are excited to support the SOL studies, and delighted that Ocular will soon target diabetic retinopathy, a huge unmet need in our space. If approved, I believe AXPAXLI will be rapidly adopted, as it has the potential to significantly reduce treatment burden with a durability of 6-12 months." Patricio G. Schlottmann, MD, Director of the Research Department at the Charles Ophthalmic Center and Ophthalmology Department Director at Organización Médica de Investigación in Buenos Aires, Argentina, commented, “Wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy are global diseases in which millions of patients around the world lose vision because we have an unsustainable treatment regimen. I continue to enthusiastically support the SOL programs in wet AMD and am particularly happy that Ocular will also target diabetic retinopathy. If approved, I believe Axpaxli will be enthusiastically adopted and has the potential to positively impact millions of patients around the world.” About AXPAXLI AXPAXLI™ (axitinib intravitreal injection, also known as OTX-TKI) is an investigational, bioresorbable, hydrogel incorporating axitinib, a small molecule, multi-target, tyrosine kinase inhibitor with anti-angiogenic properties, being evaluated for the treatment of wet AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and other retinal diseases. About the SOL-1 Study The registrational Phase 3 SOL-1 trial (NCT06223958) is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AXPAXLI in a multi-center, double-masked, randomized (1:1), parallel group study that involves more than 100 clinical trial sites located in the U.S. and Argentina. In December 2024, the trial completed randomization of more than 300 evaluable treatment-naïve subjects with a diagnosis of wet AMD in the study eye. The superiority study has an eight-week loading segment prior to randomization, a 9-month treatment segment, and a safety follow-up. During the loading segment, subjects who have 20/80 vision or better and who satisfy other enrollment criteria receive two doses of aflibercept (2 mg) at Week -8 and Week -4. Eligible subjects who achieve best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/20 at Day 1 or gain at least 10 early treatment diabetic retinopathy (ETDRS) letters at Day 1 are then randomized to receive a single dose of AXPAXLI or a single dose of aflibercept (2 mg) and assessed monthly for the duration of the study. The clinical trial protocol requires that, during the study, subjects in any arm meeting pre-specified rescue criteria will receive a supplemental dose of aflibercept (2 mg). The primary endpoint of SOL-1 is the proportion of subjects who maintain visual acuity, defined as a loss of <15 ETDRS letters of BCVA, at Week 36. The study is being conducted under a Special Protocol Agreement (SPA) with the FDA. About the SOL-R Study The registrational Phase 3 SOL-R trial (NCT06495918) is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AXPAXLI in a multi-center, double-masked, randomized (2:2:1), three-arm study that will involve sites located in the U.S. and the rest of the world. The trial is intended to randomize approximately 825 subjects who are treatment-naïve or were diagnosed with wet AMD in the study eye within three months prior to enrollment. The non-inferiority study reflects a patient enrichment strategy that includes multiple loading doses of aflibercept (2 mg) and monitoring to exclude subjects with significant retinal fluid fluctuations. Subjects in the first arm receive a single dose of AXPAXLI at Day 1 and are re-dosed at Week 24. Subjects in the second arm receive aflibercept (2 mg) on-label every 8 weeks. Subjects in the third arm receive a single dose of aflibercept (8 mg) at Day 1 and are re-dosed at Week 24, aligned with the AXPAXLI treatment arm for adequate masking. Subjects in any arm that meet pre-specified rescue criteria will receive a supplemental dose of aflibercept (2 mg). The primary endpoint of SOL-R is non-inferiority in mean BCVA change from baseline between the AXPAXLI and on-label aflibercept (2 mg) arms at one year. In a written Type C response received in August 2024, the FDA agreed that the SOL-R repeat dosing wet AMD study should be appropriate as an adequate and well-controlled study in support of a potential New Drug Application and product label. About Wet AMD Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) is a leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss affecting approximately 14 million individuals globally and 1.65 million in the United States alone (2023 Market Scope® Retinal Pharmaceuticals Market Report). Wet AMD causes vision loss due to abnormal new blood vessel growth and hyperpermeability and associated retinal vascularity in the macula, which is primarily stimulated by local upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Without prompt and continuous treatment to control this exudative activity, patients develop irreversible vision loss. With proper treatment, patients may maintain visual function for a period of time and may temporarily regain lost vision. Challenges with current therapies include pulsatile, repeated intraocular injections, treatment-related adverse events and up to 40% patient discontinuation within one year of initiating treatment with continued disease progression. Taken together, these factors lead to undertreatment and a lack of long-term vision improvement for patients. About Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to redefining the retina experience. AXPAXLI™ (axitinib intravitreal injection, also known as OTX-TKI), Ocular’s product candidate for retinal disease, is based on its ELUTYX™ proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel-based formulation technology. AXPAXLI is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Ocular’s pipeline also leverages the ELUTYX technology in its commercial product DEXTENZA®, an FDA-approved corticosteroid for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following ophthalmic surgery and ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis, and in its product candidate PAXTRAVA™ (travoprost intracameral injection or OTX-TIC), which is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Follow the Company on its website, LinkedIn, or X. The Ocular Therapeutix logo and DEXTENZA® are registered trademarks of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. AXPAXLI™, PAXTRAVA™, ELUTYX™, and Ocular Therapeutix™ are trademarks of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects for the Company, including the development and regulatory status of the Company’s product candidates; the design of, and the timing of the enrollment and randomization of patients in and the availability of data from the Company’s SOL-1 and SOL-R Phase 3 clinical trials of AXPAXLI (also called OTX-TKI) for the treatment of wet AMD; the Company’s plans to advance the development of AXPAXLI and its other product candidates, including in additional indications such as NPDR; the potential utility or adoption, if approved, of any of the Company’s product candidates; and other statements containing the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “designed”, “goal”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “predict”, “project”, “target”, “potential”, “will”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “continue”, and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s development programs, future results, performance, or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the timing and costs involved in commercializing any product or product candidate that receives regulatory approval; the ability to retain regulatory approval of any product or product candidate that receives regulatory approval; the initiation, design, timing, conduct and outcomes of ongoing and planned clinical trials; the risk that the FDA will not agree with the Company’s interpretation of the written agreement under the Special Protocol Assessment for the SOL-1 trial; the risk that the FDA may not agree that the protocol and statistical analysis plan of SOL-R or the data generated by the SOL-1 and SOL-R trials support marketing approval, even if the trials are successful; the risk that the Company and the FDA may not agree on the registrational pathway for AXPAXLI for NPDR or any other indication; uncertainty as to whether the data from earlier clinical trials will be predictive of the data of later clinical trials, particularly later clinical trials that have a different design or utilize a different formulation than the earlier trials, whether preliminary or interim data from a clinical trial will be predictive of final data from such trial, or whether data from a clinical trial assessing a product candidate for one indication will be predictive of results in other indications; availability of data from clinical trials and expectations for regulatory submissions and approvals; the Company’s scientific approach and general development progress; uncertainties inherent in estimating the Company’s cash runway, future expenses and other financial results, including its ability to fund future operations, including clinical trials; the Company’s existing indebtedness and the ability of the Company’s creditors to accelerate the maturity of such indebtedness upon the occurrence of certain events of default; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section contained in the Company’s quarterly and annual reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this press release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause the Company’s views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Investors & Media Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. Bill Slattery Vice President, Investor Relations bslattery@ocutx.com