London-based Ellipses licenses another oncologic asset from Chinese pharma
The U.K. biotech Ellipses Pharma, which develops cancer therapeutics, announced a collaboration and licensing agreement with China-based Innolake Biopharm Co. Ltd to develop a clinical-stage, first-in-class antibody–drug conjugate (ADC), EP0028, for solid tumors.
Ellipses adds EP0028 (formerly ILB-3101) to a clinical pipeline of oncology products. This ADC targets B7-H3 (also called CD276), an immune checkpoint protein and a tumor-associated antigen, and has a payload of eribulin, an established chemotherapy agent. EP0028 is currently in phase 1 trial in China sponsored by Innolake, and, according to Ellipses’ press release, the company plans to “initiate a phase 1 clinical trial in the US with expansion to Europe and other territories following relevant regulatory approvals.”
China asset number 2
This latest in-licensing from a Chinese company marks Ellipses’ second such deal. The biotech previously licensed EP0031 in 2021 from Kelun-Biotech. EP0031 is a small-molecule next-generation selective RET inhibitor. The RET gene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cell growth and survival. By selectively blocking RET’s kinase activity, EP0031 could shut down the cancer-driving signaling pathway, slowing or stopping tumor growth in RET-altered cancers. Ellipses is currently running a phase 1/2 study in adult patients with advanced RET-altered malignancies in RET+ solid tumours.
“Each party will perform development and commercial activities in their own respective territories and agree on certain data sharing to support global development,” Ellipses stated in its 2021 press release announcing the agreement. Regarding the more recent in-licensing of EP0028, no financial terms were disclosed. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on financial details from European Biotechnology Magazine.
Pipeline overview
Ellipses’ clinical pipeline is rounded out by two additional small-molecule candidates and one monoclonal antibody. EP0042, a dual inhibitor of FLT3 & Aurora kinases A and B (two enzymes that drive cancer cell growth and division), is currently in a phase 1/2 study in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia. And EP0062 (vosilasarm) is a non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) designed to precisely target the androgen receptor, aiming to inhibit cancer growth while avoiding the broader hormonal side effects of traditional steroid therapies, and is being investigated in a phase 1/2 dose optimization trial in patients with advanced ER+/AR+ breast cancer.
Lastly, the monoclonal antibody EP0089 is a next-generation immunotherapy targeting CNTN4, a checkpoint protein overexpressed in multiple tumour types, including gastric, prostate, liver, melanoma, and bladder. Its phase 1 IND was recently approved in South Korea.
China in play
Ellipses’ recent in-licensing reflects a growing trend of Western companies securing assets from Chinese biotech firms. While Chinese companies are producing high-quality science and cutting-edge assets with cost advantages and an agile regulatory environment, European companies remain crucial for global development and commercialization expertise. This dynamic highlights how collaboration, rather than competition alone, is shaping the future of the global biotech landscape.
