Hutchmed gets $15M from AstraZeneca as part of Orpathys drug program in lung cancer
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Hutchmed (âHCM) said it received a $15M milestone payment from AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) for beginning start-up activities for a phase 3 trial of Orpathys (savolitinib) for lung cancer.
The late stage study, dubbed SAFFRON, will evaluate Orpathys in combination with AstraZeneca's other drug Tagrisso in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor (MET) driven tumors following progression after TAGRISSO.
The company said the trial, which is expected to begin enrolling patients in mid-2022, follows lessons learned from a study called SAVANNAH, anticipated to be presented at a scientific conference in H2 2022.
To date, AstraZeneca has paid Hutchmed $85M of the total $140M in upfront payments, development and first-sale milestones due under the license and collaboration agreement between the two companies.
Savolitinib is marketed in China under the brand name Orpathys to treat patients with NSCLC with MET exon 14 skipping alterations who have progressed following prior systemic therapy or are unable to receive chemotherapy.
Joint development of savolitinib in China is led by Hutchmed, while AstraZeneca leads development outside China.
Hutchmed is responsible for the marketing authorization, manufacturing and supply of savolitinib in China, while AstraZeneca is responsible for the commercialization of the drug in China and worldwide. Sales of savolitinib are recognized by AstraZeneca.
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