InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969; SSE: 688428) and Keymed Biosciences (HKEX: 02162) jointly announced today that the first subject has been dosed in clinical trial of ICP-B05 (CM369), an anti-CC chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) monoclonal antibody, developed by a joint venture between the two companies called Tiannuojiancheng Pharma in China.

ICP-B05 is a potential first-in-class drug co-developed by InnoCare and Keymed as a monotherapy or in combination with other therapies for the treatment of various cancers.

There are no CCR8-targeted drugs in the world. ICP-B05 selectively depletes Tregs in the tumor microenvironment, which is more specific than other immunotherapies. CM369 binds to CCR8 on Tregs and eradicates immunosuppressive Tregs through ADCC to augment the anti-tumor immunity in TME while preserving peripheral homeostasis. CM369 has the potential to deliver optimal tumor targeted Treg depletion and be more specific in anti-tumor activity than other immunotherapies.

Dr. Jasmine Cui, Co-Founder, Chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare, said: “CCR8 is a highly promising immuno-oncology target. ICP-B05 will strengthen our large molecule pipeline in solid tumor and has a potential for combination with other therapies for synergistic effects. We will accelerate clinical development, diversify our innovative drug solutions to solve unmet clinical needs, and make unremitting efforts to benefit solid tumor patients.”

Dr. Bo Chen, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Keymed Biosciences, said: “CM369 has the potential to specifically eliminate tumor-infiltrating Treg cells, and has a positive therapeutic effect on a variety of advanced tumors. We are mindful of the importance of this therapy and are committed to expediting the clinical development of a potentially transformative solution for patients in need.”

About InnoCare

InnoCare is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class drugs for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases with unmet medical needs in China and worldwide. InnoCare has branches in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and United States.

About Keymed Biosciences

Keymed Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on the in-house discovery and development of innovative biological therapies in the autoimmune and oncology therapeutic areas. We have established a fully-integrated platform encompassing all of the key functions in the biologic drug development, which enabled us to rapidly and cost-effectively identify, build, expand and advance our diversified pipeline. Keymed Biosciences has branches in Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan.

InnoCare Forward-looking Statements

This report contains the disclosure of some forward-looking statements. Except for statements of facts, all other statements can be regarded as forward-looking statements, that is, about our or our management's intentions, plans, beliefs, or expectations that will or may occur in the future. Such statements are assumptions and estimates made by our management based on its experience and knowledge of historical trends, current conditions, expected future development and other related factors. This forward-looking statement does not guarantee future performance, and actual results, development and business decisions may not match the expectations of the forward-looking statement. Our forward-looking statements are also subject to a large number of risks and uncertainties, which may affect our short-term and long-term performance.

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