US/Sino collaboration to evaluate ME-401 plus zanubrutinib

The USA’s MEI Pharma (Nasdaq: MEIP) has lined up with China’s BeiGene (Nasdaq: BGNE) on a clinical collaboration to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MEI’s ME-401, an investigational PI3K delta inhibitor, in combination with BeiGene’s zanubrutinib, an investigational BTK inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with B-cell malignancies.

Although no financial terms of the deal were revealed, MEI Pharma’s shares jumped 8.71% to $3.87 following the announcement on Thursday.

“We are excited to be working with BeiGene to explore the potential of ME-401 in combination with zanubrutinib,” said Dr Robert Mass, chief medical officer of MEI Pharma, adding: “Combinatorial approaches to fighting difficult to treat cancers historically have proven to be important in the delivery of better treatments to patients, and we believe that the data observed to date for ME-401, with its unique pharmaceutical properties, and for zanubrutinib support the evaluation of the combination for the treatment of patients with various B-cell malignancies.”