2021年4月20日，复宏汉霖（2696.HK）宣布公司与亿胜生物合作开发的重组抗VEGF人源化单克隆抗体眼用注射液HLX04-O的临床试验申请在欧盟国家拉脱维亚获批，拟用于湿性年龄相关性黄斑变性（wAMD）的治疗。这是继澳大利亚和美国之后，HLX04-O获得的第三个境外临床试验许可，也是HLX04-O首次获批于欧盟国家开展临床试验。与此同时，公司已陆续向匈牙利、西班牙、捷克共和国等其他欧盟国家递交了HLX04-O的临床试验申请，预计将于近期陆续获批。

2020年10月，复宏汉霖与亿胜生物达成合作共同开发HLX04-O，双方计划围绕HLX04-O眼科适应症在中国、澳大利亚、欧盟、美国等国家和地区开展国际多中心临床试验，并凭借研究结果在全球多个国家和地区同步进行上市申报。复宏汉霖已开展了HLX04-O玻璃体注射治疗wAMD的非临床药效学、安全药理学、重复给药毒性、药代动力学、毒代动力学、免疫毒性、免疫原性、局部刺激性试验等相关研究，初步证明了HLX04-O玻璃体注射有效和安全。一项全球、多中心的III期临床研究拟于近期在中国、澳大利亚、俄罗斯联邦、新加坡、西班牙、波兰等国家和地区开展，以进一步评估HLX04-O治疗wAMD的有效性及安全性。



相信通过复宏汉霖与亿胜生物的合作，HLX04-O的国际多中心临床试验有望加速推进，并凭借相关研究结果在全球多个国家和地区实现上市，成为首批获得批准用于眼科相关疾病治疗的贝伐珠单抗，惠及全球众多眼科疾病患者。未来，复宏汉霖也将持续引领创新生物药品的开发，凭借已经建立起的完善的创新研发平台，持续高效地为全球患者提供可负担的、疗效更好的治疗方案。

关于湿性年龄相关性黄斑变性（wAMD）
年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）是导致老年人视力损害和不可逆失明的主要原因之一[1]，根据世界卫生组织报告，全球约有3000万AMD患者，每年约有50万人因为AMD而致盲[2]。AMD致盲患者中，以脉络膜新生血管（CNV）为特征的湿性年龄相关性黄斑变性（wAMD）比例高达90%。随着老年人口比例的不断上升，wAMD已经成为一个日益严重的社会医学问题，存在着巨大的未满足的临床需求[3]。随着眼底治疗方法的突破与发展，抗VEGF药物已成为wAMD治疗的一线疗法[4]，贝伐珠单抗玻璃体注射治疗wAMD的有效性和安全性也已在多项临床研究中得到验证-6。
关于HLX04-O
HLX04-O是复宏汉霖在自主研发的贝伐珠单抗生物类似药HLX04的基础上，根据眼科用药的需求对HLX04的处方、规格和生产工艺进行优化，在活性成份不变的基础上，开发的新的眼科制剂产品，拟用于wAMD的治疗。通过可比性研究表明生产工艺和制剂处方的变更对药物制剂的质量、安全性和有效性未产生不利影响。HLX04-O主要作用机制为：通过抑制VEGF与其位于内皮细胞上的受体Flt-1和KDR相结合，抑制其酪氨酸激酶信号通路激活，抑制内皮细胞增生，减少新生血管生成，从而治疗血管增生眼部疾病。2021年1月和3月，HLX04-O用于湿性年龄相关性黄斑变性的治疗已分别获批准于澳大利亚、美国开展临床试验。
关于复宏汉霖
复宏汉霖（2696.HK）是一家国际化的创新生物制药公司，致力于为全球患者提供可负担的高品质生物药，产品覆盖肿瘤、自身免疫疾病、眼科疾病等领域，已在中国上市3款产品，在欧盟上市1款产品，2款产品获得中国上市注册申请受理。自2010年成立以来，复宏汉霖已建成一体化生物制药平台，高效及创新的自主核心能力贯穿研发、生产及商业运营全产业链。公司已建立完善高效的全球研发中心，按照国际GMP标准进行生产和质量管控，位于上海徐汇的生产基地已获得中国和欧盟GMP认证。

复宏汉霖前瞻性布局了一个多元化、高质量的产品管线，涵盖20多种创新单克隆抗体，并全面推进基于自有抗PD-1单抗HLX10的肿瘤免疫联合疗法。继国内首个生物类似药汉利康^®（利妥昔单抗）、中国首个自主研发的中欧双批单抗药物汉曲优^®（曲妥珠单抗，欧盟商品名：Zercepac^®）、公司首个自身免疫疾病治疗产品汉达远^®（阿达木单抗）相继获批上市，公司HLX04贝伐珠单抗及HLX01利妥昔单抗类风湿关节炎新适应症的上市注册申请也正在审评中。公司亦同步就10个产品、8个联合治疗方案在全球范围内开展20多项临床试验，对外授权全面覆盖欧美主流生物药市场和众多新兴国家市场。


Application for Clinical Trial of Henlius Bevacizumab HLX04-O Has Been Approved for the Treatment of wAMD in Latvia

Shanghai, China, April 20th, 2021 - Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. (2696.HK) announced that the application for clinical trial of HLX04-O, a recombinant anti-VEGF humanized monoclonal antibody ophthalmic injection jointly developed by the Company and Essex has been approved by the State Agency of Medicines of Latvia, for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD). This is the third clinical trial approval HLX04-O has received outside of China, after the approvals of clinical trial from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and also the first clinical trial approval for HLX04-O in European Union(EU) countries. Besides, Henlius has successively submitted applications for clinical trial of HLX04-O in Hungary, Spain, Czech Republic and other EU countries, which are expected to be approved in the near future.

In October 2020, Henlius entered into a co-development and exclusive license agreement with Essex. With this collaboration, Henlius and Essex plan to conduct global multi-centre clinical trials of HLX04 in China, Australia, the European Union and the United States, and apply marketing authorization in different countries and regions around the globe based on the research results. Previously, a series of studies including non-clinical pharmacodynamics, safety pharmacology, repeat-dose toxicity, pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics, immunotoxicity, immunogenicity and local irritation of HLX04-O vitreous injection in the treatment of wAMD have been carried out, initially proving the efficacy and safety of HLX04-O. The phase 3, global and multi-centre clinical study of HLX04-O is intended to commence in China, Australia, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain and Poland in the near future to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of HLX04-O for the treatment of wAMD.

It is believed that Henlius and Essex will speed up the global multicentre clinical trials of HLX04-O and apply marketing authorization in different countries and regions around the globe based on the research results. HLX04-O has the potential to be one of the first bevacizumabs approved for ophthalmic diseases, benefiting more patients with eye diseases worldwide. Looking forward, Henlius will continue advancing the development of innovative biologics on the basis of its established and integrated innovation platform, underscoring its long-term commitment to providing affordable and effective therapies for patients worldwide.

About wAMD
Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in the elderly worldwide[1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 30 million people have suffered from AMD globally, and about half a million people become blind due to AMD each year[2]. Wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) is characterized by the formation of subretinal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and is responsible for approximately 90% of cases of AMD-related blindness. Due to an aging population, wAMD has become a serious social medical problem and indicated a huge burden of unmet need[3]. With the development of treatment for fundus diseases, anti-VEGF drugs are becoming the first-line therapy for the management of wAMD[4], and the efficacy and safety of vitreous injection of bevacizumab for wAMD have been verified in multiple clinical studies-6.
About HLX04-O
HLX04-O is a new ophthalmic preparation product developed based on HLX04, a bevacizumab biosimilar independently developed by the Company, through optimizing the prescription, specifications and production processes of HLX04 according to the requirements of ophthalmic drugs, without changing the active ingredients, and is intended to be used for the treatment of wAMD. By means of comparability studies, it shows that changes in production processes and prescriptions of the preparation have no adverse impact on the quality, safety and efficacy of the pharmaceutical preparation. HLX04-O can inhibit VEGF’s binding to its receptor Flt-1(VEGFR-1) and KDR(VEGFR-2) on endothelial cells to inhibit the activation of its tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, inhibit endothelial cell proliferation and reduce angiogenesis, thereby treating eye diseases associated with angiogenesis. In January and March 2021, HLX04-O for the treatment of wAMD has been approved to commence clinical trials in Australia and the United States.
About Henlius
Henlius (2696.HK) is a global biopharmaceutical company with the vision to offer high-quality, affordable and innovative biologic medicines for patients worldwide with a focus on oncology, autoimmune diseases and ophthalmic diseases. Up to date, 3 products have been launched in China, 1 in the European Union (EU), the New Drug Applications (NDA) of 2 products accepted for review in China. Since its inception in 2010, Henlius has built an integrated biopharmaceutical platform with core capabilities of high-efficiency and innovation embedded throughout the whole product life cycle including R&D, manufacturing and commercialisation. It has established global R&D centers and a Shanghai-based manufacturing facility certificated by China and the EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Henlius has pro-actively built a diversified and high-quality product pipeline covering over 20 innovative monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and has continued to explore immuno-oncology combination therapies with proprietary HLX10 (anti-PD-1 mAb) as backbone. Apart from the launched products 汉利康^® (rituximab), the first China-developed biosimilar, 汉曲优^® (trastuzumab, Zercepac^® in the EU), the first China-developed mAb biosimilar approved both in China and in the EU and 汉达远^® (adalimumab), the Company's first product indicated for autoimmune diseases, the NDA of HLX04 (bevacizumab) and HLX01 (rituximab) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are under review. What's more, Henlius has conducted over 20 clinical studies for 10 products and 8 combination therapies worldwide, expanding its presence in major market as well as emerging market.

参考文献

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[9] Krebs I, Schmetterer L, Boltz A, Told R, Vécsei-Marlovits V, Egger S, Schönherr U, Haas A, Ansari-Shahrezaei S, Binder S; MANTA Research Group. A randomized double-masked trial comparing the visual outcome after treatment with ranibizumab or bevacizumab in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol. 2013 Mar;97(3):266-71.
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