Junshi sets up JV with Rxilient for toripalimab in Southeast Asia

China’s Junshi Biosciences (HKEX: 1877) has entered an agreement with Rxilient Biotech (a portfolio company of Legend Capital), to form a joint venture to develop and commercialize its cancer drug toripalimab in Southeast Asia.

The territories to be covered are Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Rights to commercialize toripalimab in mainland China were granted to UK pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) in 2021 for urothelial carcinoma and for all indications in non-core areas.

Toripalimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody independently developed by Junshi. Thus far, Junshi Biosciences has conducted over 30 clinical trials globally (in China, the USA, Southeast Asia, and Europe) covering more than 15 indications, including cancers of the lung, nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder, breast, liver, kidney, and skin. Six of these indications have been approved in China, and multiple marketing applications are currently under review by regulatory agencies in the USA, European Union, and UK.