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Time passed, day and night, and the unprofitable biotechnology company went public in Hong Kong, just passing its fourth year
.
In the long winter, Biotech has come to a fork in the road of fate, and most of the market value has exceeded the waist.
Ascletis Pharmaceutical, the first 18A company in Hong Kong, was listed
on August 1, 2018.
The company's share price experienced a halving from 2019 to 2020 and bottomed out from
2021.
Ascletis raised HK$3.
1 billion at the time of listing, and surprisingly, this year's interim report shows that Ascletis still raised as much as RMB2.
484 billion in cash and cash equivalents, only 11.
8 million yuan less than at the beginning of the year, enough to support R&D activities
in the next five years.
In the past few years, Ascletis has taken the initiative to restructure the R&D pipeline, and the cumulative loss since 2018 has been controlled within 600 million yuan.
Ascare was the first to start the license
In overseas pipeline of one of the Biotech, but has successfully transformed from license in to independent research and development
.
Develop new pipelines in the circle of competence to ensure a smooth transition; opening up new markets in unmet clinical needs and ensuring a stay away from involution; Backed by abundant cash reserves, we will ensure that we reach our targets
.
These are the lessons
Ascletis brings to Biotech.
01 Unlock two big markets
01 Unlock two big marketsThe excessive competition in the hepatitis C stock market has given Ascletis an unforgettable understanding, and the re-planned pipeline has shifted to a large market
to be tapped.
Ascletis remains committed to the fundamentals of viral diseases and is ready to unlock two new markets, including small molecule oral drugs and functional cures
of chronic hepatitis B.
Coronavirus oral drug pipeline
Coronavirus oral drug pipelineThe development of new crown drugs is a reasonable extension
of Ascletis' core antiviral research and development capabilities.
At present, a number of domestic new crown oral drug projects have entered the clinical trial stage, and they have
not fought before the battle.
Ascletis chose a different strategy, focusing on overseas and taking into account the domestic market
.
At present, more than tens of thousands of people are infected with the new crown every day in the United States, the market is huge, and it is more convenient
for patients to enroll.
SALES OF NEW CROWN ORAL DRUGS THIS YEAR, PFIZER PAXLOVID IS EXPECTED TO BE $22 BILLION, AND MERK MOLNUPIRAVIR IS EXPECTED TO BE $5-5.
5 BILLION
.
With the pandemic normalizing, Pfizer predicts that sales of oral coronavirus drugs can continue into the next few years
.
For Ascletis, even if it only gets a small share of the international market, it is still a huge space
.
ASC10 (RdRp) has received FDA approval for Phase Ib clinical trials in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.
Phase I clinical trials in China are also advancing
rapidly.
Through the dual prodrug strategy, the permeability and active metabolite exposure of ASC10 reached 3.
2 times and 2.
1 times
that of Merck Molnupiravir, respectively.
In addition to the RdRp target, Ascletis has also independently developed a 3CL target new crown oral drug, laying the foundation
for the subsequent combination of the two drugs.
Anti-new coronavirus cell experiments have shown that the antiviral activity of ASC11 (3CL) is expected to become the best-in-class 3CL protease inhibitor
for the treatment of new coronary pneumonia.
On October 28, Ascletis announced the signing of an agreement with Pfizer: Ascletis will non-exclusively authorize Pfizer China to use part of Ascletis' ritonavir tablets registration data for new crown drugs in Chinese mainland
PAXLOVID and the production and supply of ritonavir tablets in Chinese mainland for Pfizer China under an agreement valid for 5 years
.
In the investor exchange meeting, Ascletis said that communication with Pfizer began in early 2022, which took nine months and went through multiple rounds of due diligence, audits and negotiations
.
Pfizer conducted several audits of Ascletis Ritonavir tablets for process technology, product quality, environmental compliance, etc.
, and after several months, Ascletis' comprehensive strength was recognized
by international pharmaceutical giants.
As we all know, Pfizer has strict selection of its partners and suppliers, long cycles, high technical requirements and strict
compliance requirements.
It can be seen that the barriers to cooperation with Pfizer are quite high
.
PAXLOVID is Pfizer's new crown oral effect drug, which was officially conditionally approved for marketing
in China in February this year.
PAXLOVID is a combination of two drugs, nimatevir/ritonavir, a new coronavirus master protease (MPRO, also known as 3CL protease) inhibitor, which is administered in combination with low doses of ritonavir to help slow down the metabolism or breakdown of nematevir and keep it active in the body for a longer period of time at higher concentrations to help fight the new coronavirus
.
Ritonavir tablets are pharmacokinetic enhancers
of several oral antiviral drugs against viral proteases.
Ascletis' ritonavir tablets were approved for domestic marketing
in September 2021.
Ascletis currently owns the only ritonavir oral tablets produced in China that have been approved for marketing through bioequivalence studies, and its annual production capacity has expanded to approximately 530 million tablets
.
In August this year, before Pfizer and Ascletis reached a cooperation, it had already reached a cooperation with Huahai Pharmaceutical: Huahai provided contract manufacturing services
for Pfizer's new coronavirus treatment PAXLOVID sold in the Chinese mainland market during the agreement period (5 years).
Pfizer provides nimatevir APIs and ritonavir preparations, and Huahai Pharmaceutical is responsible for the production of nirmatervir preparations and completes the combination packaging
.
With the implementation of Pfizer's ritonavir cooperation with Ascletis, PAXLOVID's localized supply in China is ready, and the production capacity of Ascletis and Huahai is very sufficient, thereby improving and ensuring the accessibility and affordability of
PAXLOVID drugs for new crown patients in China.
In September this year, Pfizer PAXLOVID has appeared in the preliminary review list of China's medical insurance negotiations in 2022, and it is expected to enter the Chinese medical insurance directory
at a reduced price.
There is no doubt that after the start of local production of PAXLOVID in China, ritonavir is expected to achieve rapid expansion
.
Pfizer's financial report for the second quarter of 2022 shows that PAXLOVID has a market share of 90% in the United States, and it is expected that PAXLOVID will gain a significant market share
in China after localized production.
Functional cure of chronic hepatitis B
Functional cure of chronic hepatitis BAbout 86 million people in China are infected with the hepatitis B virus, and there is still no drug that can completely cure hepatitis
B.
Ascletis is leading
the way in the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B.
ASC22 is the world's fastest clinical development of immunotherapy
for the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.
In June, Ascletis held the 2022 International Liver Congress (ILC) of the Association for the Study of the European Liver (EASL).
2022) oral report announces 42.
9% baseline hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) ≤ 100 IU/mL
Patients (n=7) achieved continuous clearance of HBsAg, indicating a functional cure
for chronic hepatitis B.
After communicating with Chinese regulators in June 2022, ASC22 (Envolimab) for the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B has been approved for the drug registration pathway, including patient population, dose, course of treatment, etc.
, and the IIb expansion cohort study is currently being conducted to further confirm whether the functional cure rate of ASC22 is similar to the previously reported functional cure, and the enrollment of 50 patients with chronic hepatitis B in the IIb expanded cohort study is expected to be completed
in early 2023.
02 Layout two big blue oceans
02 Layout two big blue oceansAscletis has expanded its capabilities in the field of liver disease to the semi-consumer nature of NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), ranking among the international leaders
.
Due to the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes and the aging population, the number of NASH patients is expected to be 10~15 in the future
With a significant increase in annual growth, it may become the most affected chronic liver disease
.
According to epidemiological data, there are about 15-30 million NASH patients in the United States and about 50 million NASH patients in China, and there is no symptomatic drug approved by the FDA, EMA, NMPA in the world, and a large number of clinical treatment needs have not been met
.
The tens of billions of dollars blue ocean market is about to usher in a critical moment
.
Madrigal's THR-β (thyroid hormone β receptor) agonist Resmetirom may become the first FDA-approved NASH drug, and the second clinical phase III trial
is expected to be unblinded in the fourth quarter of this year.
If successful, the entire NASH field will be ignited
again.
As a leader in NASH in China, Ascletis has laid out three single-drug and three fixed-dose combination formulations
targeting fatty acid synthase (FASN), thyroid hormone β receptor (THR-β) and farnesol X receptor (FXR) for many years in advance.
Among them, the FASN inhibitor ASC40 is in clinical phase IIb, and the THR-β agonist ASC41 has completed the first 52-week phase II clinical trial of liver
biopsy-confirmed NASH.
THR-β could lead the NASH space, with the world's top three pipeline assets all presenting huge market opportunities
.
Ascletis Pharmaceutical's THR-β agonist ASC41 progresses third in the world and first in
China.
Compared to Resmetirom, ASC41 has a stronger binding affinity for THR-β receptors and processing power (6x/22x).
In 2 different NASH animal model trials, ASC41 showed the same NAS score and liver fibrosis improvement
as the 10-fold dose Resmetirom.
When domestic innovative drugs are clustered in the field of oncology, the peak loop in the field of NASH turns, and the verification of differentiation strategies can also harvest large varieties
.
Ascletis has also built a consumer healthcare pipeline around its circle of competence
.
More than 640 million people suffer from acne worldwide, often associated with hormonal changes during puberty, affecting about 85%
of adolescents aged 12 to 25 years.
According to Allied
Market
Research reports that the global acne drugs market size was $11.
86 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $13.
35 billion
by 2027.
At present, the first-line drugs for acne treatment are mainly topical creams, such as tretinoins, androgen receptor inhibitors, oral isotretinoins, and antibiotics, and side effects are local burning sensation, and rashes, itching, red rashes, and occasionally urticaria-like reactions
may occur.
Innovative treatments for skin diseases are emerging, but acne has become a forgotten corner with a clear unmet need
.
In August 2020, the U.
S.
FDA approved Clascoterone (1% emulsion) for the treatment of acne patients aged 12 years and older, the first acne drug with an innovative mechanism of action in 40 years, providing a non-antibiotic therapy
for acne patients.
In January this year, Ascletis completed its first patient dose
in a Phase II clinical trial of ASC40 for the treatment of moderate to severe acne.
ASC40, as a novel mechanism of action drug for the treatment of acne, is a selective oral small molecule inhibitor of fatty acid synthase (FASN), a key enzyme
that regulates the de novo (DNL) pathway of fatty acid synthesis.
Sebum secretion depends on de novo synthesis of fatty acids, which increase during acne formation, and the fatty acid synthase inhibitor ASC40 inhibits sebum secretion
.
ASC40 has been observed in phase I clinical trials to inhibit sebum production in the human face, with a dose-dependent effect, and preliminary data show safety,
Efficacy data are good
.
ASC40 (FASN) has also made several advances
in the field of oncology.
By blocking DNL, inhibiting tumor cell energy supply and disrupting tumor cell membrane phospholipid composition, phase II clinical trial data showed that ASC40 combined with bevacizumab had an objective response rate (ORR) of 65%, including a complete response (CR) of 20% and a partial response (PR)
of 45%.
At present, ASC40 combined with bevacizumab for the treatment of rGBM has been clinically in
phase III.
Drawing nourishment from the ups and downs and reinventing itself, Ascletis expanded its pipeline step by step to the incremental market based on its core capabilities, initially forming a multi-line business structure and reserving a number of large products
.
The current difficulties faced by Biotech have been experienced by Ascletis Pharmaceutical
.
Facts have proved that as long as we adhere to independent research and development, improve efficiency, and innovate to go to sea, we can eventually stand up
again.