Evogene and Shanghai Lishan Biopharmaceuticals (Lishan Biotech) have announced that Biomica, Evogene’s subsidiary, and Lishan Biotech entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement for BMC128 (designated as LS-LBP-002 by Lishan Biotech), a microbiome-based therapeutic designed to enhance anti-tumour immune activity.
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BMC128 was developed by Biomica and is currently completing a Phase 1 clinical study, showing promising early clinical results.
BMC128 is a live biopharmaceutical consortium composed of four human gut bacterial strains with defined functional capabilities that enhance responses to immunotherapy and stimulate anti-tumour immune activity. BMC128 is currently completing a Phase 1 clinical study in renal cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer and has demonstrated encouraging early clinical promise. Results to date show an excellent safety and tolerability profile, together with early signs of efficacy, including a high proportion of patients with previously progressive disease achieving stable disease during treatment.
Dr. Weijie Chen, chairman of Lishan Biotech, said: “This collaboration ensures that BMC128 continues to advance toward its next clinical milestones. We are impressed by the effects observed with BMC128 in lung and renal cancer patients who had experienced disease progression prior to treatment, and we look forward to advancing the program through further development and ultimately toward commercialisation, for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide.”
Under the agreement, Lishan Biotech will assume responsibility for global clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of BMC128. Biomica will be eligible to receive development milestone payments and royalties on future commercial sales, in accordance with an agreed-upon schedule.
Lishan Biotech plans to advance BMC128 into a Phase 2 clinical study and to pursue regulatory filings in both China and the United States for future commercialisation.
Ofer Haviv, CEO of Evogene and Biomica, said: “We are pleased to partner with Lishan Biotech as BMC128 enters its next phase of development. Lishan Biotech’s strong development capabilities and commitment to innovative microbiome-based therapeutics position this program for meaningful value creation in difficult-to-treat cancers. As a major shareholder of Biomica, Evogene expects to benefit from BMC128’s future success.”