Boan Biotech Authorizes Joincare to Exclusively Develop and Commercialize Its BA2101 for Respiratory Indications in Chinese Mainland

Yantai, China, January 26, 2024 – Boan Biotech today announced a partnership with Joincare Pharmaceutical Group Industry Co., Ltd (Joincare). In this partnership, Joincare is granted the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize BA2101 in Chinese mainland for treating respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). BA2101 is an investigational injection, of which the key ingredient is a long-acting anti-IL-4Rα monoclonal antibody. Mr. Liu Dianbo, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Luye Life Sciences Group, Ms. Jiang Hua, Chairlady and Chief Executive Officer at Boan Biotech, Mr. Zhu Baoguo, Chairman of Joincare, Mr. Yu Xiong, President of Joincare, Dr. Dou Changlin, R&D President and Chief Operating Officer at Boan Biotech, and Dr. You Chunna, Senior Vice President of R&D Center at Boan Biotech, attended the agreement-signing ceremony.

Photo of the agreement-signing ceremony

Under the agreement for the partnership, Joincare is granted the exclusive rights to develop, register, manufacture, and commercialize BA2101 in Chinese mainland for treating respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD, while Boan Biotech retains all the rights regarding BA2101 for other indications in Chinese mainland and for all the indications outside of Chinese mainland. 

Joincare will pay Boan Biotech upfront after the signing of the agreement, and will also make milestone payments contingent on the progress of the drug’s development. Joincare also agrees to make potential sales milestone payments and royalties to Boan Biotech based on the product’s net sales in Chinese mainland. In addition, Joincare will take care of all the subsequent clinical trials and development activities for BA2101 regarding all the respiratory indications in Chinese mainland and cover the expenses that will be incurred. 

Developed by Boan Biotech, BA2101 is an innovative, long-acting human monoclonal antibody of the IgG4 subtype that targets interleukin-4 receptor subunit α (IL-4Rα). The investigational drug can inhibit the IL-4 and IL-13 signalling pathways simultaneously, regulate the Th2 inflammatory pathway, and reduce eosinophils and circulating IgE levels. It is intended to be used for treating allergic diseases caused by Th2 inflammation. Clinical trials of BA2101 have been approved for treating atopic dermatitis, asthma, COPD, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, prurigo nodularis, and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). 

Current antibody drugs targeting IL-4Rα are usually administered once every two weeks. BA2101 has a long-acting mechanism. Preclinical studies show that BA2101 has a longer half-life in cynomolgus monkeys comparing to the only marketed product with the same target, which will allow it to be administered once every four weeks in humans. Data from the completed Phase 1 clinical trial shows that BA2101 has a longer half-life and a lower clearance rate versus the reference drug. The Phase 2 clinical trial of the product has been kicked off.

Th2 inflammation is an underlying immune process in a variety of diseases, involving skin, respiratory, digestive and other systems¹. Joincare is a leading Chinese company with therapeutics for respiratory diseases. The company boasts a wide range of respiratory products and a dedicated marketing team across China.

Yu Xiong, President of Joincare, said: "Asthma and COPD are among the most common chronic respiratory diseases, posing a serious threat to public health. There is an urgent need in clinical practice for innovative drugs that are better at controlling and improving symptoms. We are excited to enter into this partnership with Boan Biotech, granting us the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize BA2101 for treating asthma and COPD in Chinese mainland. BA2101 has the potential to provide a new treatment option for patients. It will also further expand our portfolio of innovative respiratory drugs, so that we can be better-positioned to address the unmet treatment needs of patients." 

Dr. Dou Changlin, R&D President and Chief Operating Officer at Boan Biotech, said: " Th2 inflammation contributes to multiple diseases, and comorbidity is common, posing a significant burden to patients. IL-4Rα is an important target for the treatment of Th2 inflammatory diseases, and BA2101, with its unique long-acting mechanism, will play a significant role in the long-term management of those diseases. In this partnership, Boan Biotech and Joincare will leverage their strength in R&D and commercialization respectively to accelerate the clinical development of BA2101 for indications such as asthma and COPD. Boan Biotech will also leverage its strong clinical development capabilities to accelerate the development of the drug for indications other than respiratory diseases, so that patients can benefit from this product as soon as possible."

There are urgent unmet medical needs for diseases associated with Th2 inflammation. As a long-acting injection, BA2101 is expected to become a more convenient option for patients suffering from Th2 inflammation and thus improve patient compliance. As such, it is expected to become a more valuable product in clinical practice and have a promising future in the marketplace. According to Frost & Sullivan, the size of the global market for the IL-4R-targeting therapies is expected to reach USD 28.7 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6% from 2020 to 2030; whereas in China, this market is expected to reach RMB 28.2 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 76.8% during the same period.

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About Boan Biotech

Boan Biotech (6955.HK) is a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company developing, manufacturing, and marketing biologics, with a focus on oncology, autoimmune diseases, ophthalmology, and metabolic diseases. The company's drug discovery activities revolve around multiple platforms: Human Antibody Transgenic Mouse and Phage Display Technology Platform, Bispecific T-cell Engager Technology Platform, ADC Technology Platform and Cell Therapy Platform.

Boan Biotech operates across the entire value chain of the industry covering antibody discovery, cell line development, upstream and downstream process development, analytical and bio-analytical method development, technology transfer, non-clinical research, clinical research, regulatory affairs and registration, and commercial production. In the cell therapy field, Boan Biotech focuses on a new generation of enhanced and regulated CAR-T technology, developing safer, more effective, and affordable treatments for patients.

Boan Biotech’s portfolio includes two commercial products. Its pipeline includes multiple novel biologics as drug candidates protected for their international intellectual property rights and a number of biosimilar candidates. In addition to China, the company is also developing biopharmaceutical products in overseas markets, including the U.S. and the EU. With a differentiated portfolio and well-established commercial capabilities, Boan Biotech operates across the industry’s value chain from research and development to manufacturing and commercialization, laying a solid foundation for long-term, high-quality growth in the future.

About Joincare

Founded in 1992, Joincare has grown into an innovation-driven pharmaceutical group after years of stable operation and rapid development. The group now has two publicly traded companies, Joincare Pharmaceutical Group and Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, as well as over 20 subsidiaries. Innovation is at the core of the group’s business strategy. It is committed to developing innovative drugs and complex formulations by leveraging cutting-edge platform technologies. The group has a diverse product portfolio and an extensive pipeline of investigational drugs with a strong demand in clinical practice covering therapeutic areas such as respiratory diseases, analgesics, digestive diseases, assisted reproduction, mental health, and oncology. In 2021, Joincare ranked sixth by revenue and fifth by R&D spending among China’s comprehensive pharmaceutical companies.

[1] Expert consensus on the mechanism and targeted treatment of Th2 inflammatory diseases. Natl Med J China, November 15, 2022, Vol. 102, No. 42