Polyphor partners with Fosun Pharma

Under the agreement, Fosun Pharma Co. Ltd. will lead the clinical development and commercialisation of balixafortide in metastatic breast cancer and potentially other cancers in China. Polyphor AG is set to receive US$15m upfront, development milestones of up to US$15m, and sales milestones of up to US$148m. The agreed upon royalty rates start in the low double digits and increase to the mid-teens based on net sales achieved in the territory

China is projected to be the second largest market globally for breast cancer treatments. Additional cancer indications and combination therapies will be evaluated jointly by the companies. Polyphor AG retains all rights to balixafortide outside of China. 

Balixafortide is currently the only oral CXCR4 antagonist evaluated in an open Phase III study for a solid tumour. CXCR4 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis in many cancer subtypes. CXCR4 antagonism was shown to change tumor-stromal interactions, sensitize cancer cells to cytotoxic drugs, and reduce tumor growth and metastatic burden. Balixafortide is currently being evaluated in the pivotal study FORTRESS (POL6326-009) which is an international, multicenter, randomized active-controlled, open-label Phase III trial which will investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of intravenous balixafortide given with eribulin versus eribulin alone in the treatment of HER2 negative, locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.  

In 2019 Polyphor AG refocussed its business with a new focus on oncology.