食管癌是全球第六大癌症死亡原因，也是我国的高发恶性肿瘤。统计显示，中国食管癌发病率和死亡率分别位列恶性肿瘤的第六和第四位，其中食管鳞癌为最常见的病理类型，约占中国所有食管癌病例的85.79%^[1]。由于早期症状不明显，在我国约70%的患者确诊时已为局部晚期或转移性食管鳞癌，失去了手术治疗机会^[2]。近年来，多项研究表明抗PD-1单抗联合化疗可为食管癌患者带来生存获益，免疫检查点抑制剂联合化疗已成为我国食管癌的一线治疗标准^[3]。

此次获批主要基于一项随机、双盲、多中心的Ⅲ期临床研究（ASTRUM-007），旨在研究斯鲁利单抗对比安慰剂联合化疗（顺铂+5-FU）在既往未接受治疗、PD-L1阳性（PD-L1 CPS≥1）的晚期食管鳞癌患者中的疗效和安全性。根据全球知名学术期刊Nature Medicine发表的ASTRUM-007临床研究结果显示，斯鲁利单抗联合化疗带来了总生存期（OS）和无进展生存期（PFS）的全面生存获益，并具备良好的安全性。值得注意的是，PD-L1高表达人群接受斯鲁利单抗联合化疗较意向性治疗（ITT）人群具有更大生存获益，在针对PD-L1 CPS≥10人群的分析中，斯鲁利单抗联合化疗组的中位OS长达18.6个月，较对照组绝对延长4.7个月，死亡风险降低41%。目前，ASTRUM-007研究成果已相继亮相于2022 ESMO Asia年会、2023 ASCO年会等国际学术会议，获得国际学术界高度认可。

围绕H药，公司聚焦肺癌与消化道肿瘤两大癌种，积极推进H药与公司其他产品的协同以及与创新疗法的联合，于全球同步开展10余项肿瘤免疫联合疗法临床试验，累计入组逾3600名受试者，国际化的临床研究数据有望为全球申报提供有力支撑。针对消化道肿瘤，H药已获批MSI-H实体瘤适应症，可为MSI-H高发的结直肠癌和胃癌等患者带去治疗希望。同时，该药在胃癌新辅助/辅助方面已进入Ⅲ期临床研究，有望使胃癌患者在前线便从肿瘤免疫疗法中获益。肺癌领域，H药已获批sqNSCLC和ES-SCLC两大适应症，并成为全球首个获批一线治疗小细胞肺癌（SCLC）的抗PD-1单抗，公司亦计划于2023年下半年就H药一线治疗非鳞状非小细胞肺癌（nsNSCLC）在中国递交上市申请。与此同时，H药治疗SCLC相继获得了美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）和欧盟委员会（EC）授予的孤儿药资格认定，该药一线治疗ES-SCLC的欧盟上市许可申请（MAA）已于2023年3月获得欧洲药品管理局（EMA）受理，有望于2024年上半年获得批准。复宏汉霖亦在美国启动了一项H药对比一线标准治疗阿替利珠单抗用于ES-SCLC的头对头桥接试验，计划于2024年在美国递交上市许可申请（BLA)。此外，复宏汉霖还稳步推动H药局限期小细胞肺癌（LS-SCLC）的全球多中心Ⅲ期临床研究。

商业拓展方面，复宏汉霖针对H药进行了前瞻性的布局，并持续多维度、多渠道提升该产品的可及性，截至目前，H药已惠及逾3.7万名中国患者，并在中国境内完成29个省份的招标挂网，同时，已进入上海市、成都市、宁波市、厦门市、福建省、宁夏回族自治区等26个省/市级定制型商业补充医疗保险目录。针对海外市场，复宏汉霖与KGbio于2019年达成合作，授予其H药首个单药疗法及两项联合疗法在东南亚地区10个国家独家开发和商业化权益；2023年8月，公司进一步就H药在中东北非区域12个国家的独家商业化权益授予KGbio。此外，公司还授予尊龙凯时医药H药在美国市场的独家商业化权益，协同拓展H药的海外市场布局，致力覆盖全球更广泛的患者群体。

未来，复宏汉霖将持续提升研产销全产链综合实力，深耕精准治疗与转化研究的治疗体系，多维度实现H药临床价值，持续打造肿瘤免疫治疗新标杆，为全球患者带去关爱与希望。

Henlius' Novel Anti-PD-1 mAb HANSIZHUANG (Serplulimab) Approved for the Treatment of ESCC

Shanghai, China, Sep 22^nd, 2023 – Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. (2696. HK) announced that the new drug application (NDA) for new indication of HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab injection), an innovative anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody independently developed by the company, in combination with drugs containing fluorouracil and platinum for the first-line treatment of patients with PD-L1 positive unresectable locally advanced/recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration (the "NMPA"), providing a new treatment option for patients with ESCC. Up to date, HANSIZHUANG has been approved for the treatment of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) solid tumors, squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC), and extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). To further benefit patients, Henlius continues to differentiate and optimize product portfolios and the roadmap of HANSIZHUANG in lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and other cancers.

Wenjie Zhang, Chairman, and Executive Director of Henlius, remarked, "ESCC is the fourth approved indication of HANSIZHUANG and its approval signifies that this high-quality anti-PD-1 mAb offers a new ray of hope for the treatment of difficult-to-treat gastrointestinal cancer. Since it launched in March 2022, HANSIZHUANG has benefited a wide range of patients with lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and other tumors, further solidifying its positive reputation with a strong brand effect. Moving forward, we will continue leveraging the strengths of HANSIZHUANG and fully tapping its potential to accelerate market expansion to provide affordable, innovative treatments to more patients worldwide."

Jason Zhu, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Financial Officer of Henlius, said, "Henlius is driven by unmet clinical needs and has devoted itself to precision immunotherapy for tumors. We are focusing on major cancer types, steadily expanding the clinical layout of HANSIZHUANG in multiple cancer types, and actively initiating immune combination therapy trials worldwide. The approval of ESCC further validates the potential of HANSIZHUANG and demonstrates the innovation capabilities of Henlius. We look forward to more positive study results of HANSIZHUANG to make further contributions to cancer treatment for more cancer patients."

Prof. Jing Huang, the leading principal investigator of ASTRUM-007, from Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said, "ESCC is the most common pathological type of esophageal cancer with high clinical demand and relatively poor overall prognosis. The phase 3 clinical study (ASTRUM-007) on serplulimab plus chemotherapy for unresectable locally advanced/metastatic esophageal cancer achieved promising results, which was conducted on a large sample of the local population and fully demonstrated that serplulimab in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for locally advanced/metastatic and PD-L1 positive (PD-L1 CPS≥1) esophageal cancer patients can significantly improve progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We are hoping that serplulimab will benefit more patients in clinical practice."

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide as well as a prevalent malignant tumor in China. According to the data, the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer rank sixth and fourth, respectively, among all malignant tumors in China, of which ESCC is the most common pathological type that accounts for about 85.79% of all esophageal cancer cases^[1]. As the symptoms of early esophageal cancer are often subtle, about 70% of patients are diagnosed at mid-to-late stage, missing out on surgical treatment^[2]. In recent years, many studies have shown that anti-PD-1 mAb combined with chemotherapy can bring survival benefits to patients with esophageal cancer. Up to date, immune checkpoint inhibitor combined with chemotherapy has become the standard first-line treatment for advanced esophageal cancer in China^[3].

The approval was primarily based on ASTRUM-007, a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, phase 3 study aiming to compare the efficacy and safety of serplulimab versus placebo in combination with chemotherapy (5-FU + cisplatin) in patients with previously untreated, PD-L1–positive (PD-L1 CPS≥1), advanced ESCC. According to the study results published in the international leading journal Nature Medicine, serplulimab in combination with chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), its safety was also manageable. Notably, the PD-L1 high-expression group receiving serplulimab combined with chemotherapy gained a greater survival benefit comparing to the intention-to-treat (ITT) group, in the analysis of the group with PD-L1 CPS≥10, the combination of serplulimab and chemotherapy group had a median OS of 18.6 months, with an absolute extension of 4.7 months compared to the control group and a 41% reduction in the risk of death. The results of ASTRUM-007 have been released at many world-class conferences, such as the 2022 ESMO Asia Congress and the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting, receiving high recognition from the international academic community.

Henlius focuses on lung and gastrointestinal cancer and promotes the synergy of HANSIZHUANG with innovative therapies, in which more than 10 clinical trials on immuno-oncology combination therapies have been initiated worldwide. As of now, the company has enrolled more than 3,600 subjects, and the global clinical research data will provide strong support for its NDAs in overseas markets. In terms of gastrointestinal cancer, HANSIZHUANG has been approved for the treatment of MSI-H solid tumours, which brings hope to patients with MSI-H colorectal cancer and MSI-H gastric cancer. Furthermore, HANSIZHUANG has led the way with a phase 3 clinical study on neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapies for gastric cancer, striving to benefit gastric cancer patients from the early line of immunotherapy. In the field of lung cancer, HANSIZHUANG has been approved for sqNSCLC and ES-SCLC, making it the world's first anti-PD-1 mAb for the first-line treatment of SCLC. The company also plans to submit a marketing application for HANSIZHUANG as a first-line treatment for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC) in China in the second half of 2023. In addition, HANSIZHUANG was also granted orphan drug designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Commission (EC) for the treatment of SCLC, and its Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for the first-line treatment of ES-SCLC was validated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in March 2023, with the expectation of approval in the first half of 2024. Henlius also lanuched a head-to-head bridging trial of HANSIZHUANG versus first-line standard-of-care atezolizumab for ES-SCLC in the U.S. and the company plans to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) for HANSIZHUANG in the U.S. in 2024. Furthermore, Henlius is steadily advancing a global multi-center clinical research of HANSIZHUANG for the limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC).

Henlius proactively promotes the commercialization of HANSIZHUANG to enhance its accessibility through multiple dimensions and channels. Up to date, HANSIZHUANG has benefited over 37,000 Chinese patients and has completed the tendering process on the procurement platform in 29 provinces in Chinese mainland and was included into the customized commercial medical insurance directory in 26 Provinces and cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, Ningbo, Xiamen, Fujian, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, etc. For the overseas market, Henlius forged a partnership with Kalbe Genexine Biologics (KGbio) to grant it an exclusive license to develop and commercialize HANSIZHUANG in relation to its first monotherapy and two combination therapies in 10 Southeast Asian countries. In August 2023, the company further granted KGbio exclusive development and commercialization authorizations of HANSIZHUANG in 12 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. In addition, Henlius entered into an exclusive license agreement with Fosun Pharma for the commercialization of HANSIZHUANG in the U.S., aiming to expand the overseas market layout of HANSIZHUANG and reach out to a wider range of global patients.

In the future, Henlius will continue to enhance its capabilities in innovation, manufacturing, and commercialization, dedicating its efforts to the development of a system for precision treatment and translational medicine research and maximizing the clinical value of HANSIZHUANG to set the pace in tumor immunotherapy to deliver warmth and hope to patients all over the globe.