CStone and Bayer to trial CS1001 with regorafenib in multiple cancers

Chinese biotech firm CStone Pharmaceuticals (HKEX: 2616) today announced that the company has entered into a global clinical collaboration with China focus with Bayer HealthCare LLC, a unit of Germany’s Bayer (BAYN: DE)

The companies will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and antitumor activity of its PD-L1 monoclonal antibody CS1001, the Chinese firm’s lead candidate, in combination with Bayer's Stivarga (regorafenib), an oral multi-kinase inhibitor (targeting VEGFR, FGFR, CSF1R, etc), as a treatment for multiple cancers including gastric cancer. This is the first global proof-of-concept study carried out as a collaboration between the two companies. CStone will be the study sponsor and Bayer will provide regorafenib throughout the clinical trial program.

No financial terms of the collaboration were revealed, but CStone’ shares closed the day up 3.63% at HK$12.56, while Bayer was unchanged due to a public holiday in Germany.