On October 14, 2020, the signing ceremony of strategic collaboration between Biotheus and Shanghai East Hospital was held in Shanghai. Attending the signing ceremony were Liu Zhongmin, president of Shanghai East Hospital, Professor Li Jin, director of Department of Oncology, Professor Guo Ye, director of Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Shi Yan, director of Clinical Trial Institution Office, Zhang Min, director of South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics(START) (Shanghai) , Mr. Liu Xiaolin, president of Biotheus, Mr. Hu Guoqiang, Biotheus’ chief medical officer, Professor Li Bin, chairman of Scientific Committee, as well as representatives of investors.

According to the collaboration agreement, Biotheus and Shanghai East Hospital will integrate their respective advantageous resources, carry out in-depth cooperation in the clinical research of multiple anti-tumor innovative drugs, realize resource exchange and complement each others’ strength, accelerate the development of new anti-tumor drugs, and bring the drugs with excellent curative effect and high quality to the market as soon as possible, benefiting the majority of cancer patients in China and even in the world.

At the signing ceremony, Professor Li Jin first delivered a speech on behalf of the hospital and expressed his gratitude for the convening of the signing ceremony and Biotheus’ affirmation of the clinical trial experience of Shanghai East Hospital. He also stated, “The R&D of new anti-tumor drugs has always been a hot topic in clinical research. With recent discovery of new technologies and new targets, more and more innovative drugs have entered into clinic trials. Despite all that, the field still faces the common problems of high development risk and low R&D efficiency. Only with the joint cooperation of hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises can it accelerate the development process and timely screen out more successful potential drugs that are able to resolve the burden of major diseases. We understand that the core team of Biotheus has abundant experience in the field of tumor immunotherapy. We look forward to working with Biotheus R&D team to promote the clinical research of new drugs quickly, efficiently, scientifically and rigorously, and further improve the clinical research level of Shanghai East Hospital to achieve win-win results for both sides.”

Mr. Liu Xiaolin, CEO of Biotheus, delivered a speech on behalf of the company, saying, “Clinical research is a phase with the longest investment cycle and the largest capital in the whole process of new drug development. As an innovative drug company focusing on the field of cancer, Biotheus will have a wide range of candidate products successively promoted to the clinical research phase. Therefore, we have set up a clinical research center in Shanghai and actively seek cooperation with professional and authoritative clinical research institutions and teams. Shanghai East Hospital has a domestic first-class technical expert team with rich experience in the early clinical research of new anti-tumor drugs. We are honored to cooperate with such an excellent team. We hope that both sides will work together in the future to bring more products with excellent curative effect and high quality to the patients as soon as possible.”

Mr. Hu Guoqiang, CMO of Biotheus, introduced the company’s product pipeline.The first bispecific antibody anti-tumor target new drug (PM8001) is carrying out phase I clinical research and is progressing smoothly. It is expected that 5 anti-tumor biological drugs will enter into the clinical research phase by 2021.

Professor Guo Ye from Shanghai East Hospital introduced in details about the situation in START-East Clinical Phase I Trial Center of New Drugs, which has become one of the largest phase I clinical trial centers for new drugs R&D in China. Since its establishment of three years, more than 70 projects have been taken and carried out, covering new therapeutic methods such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, cell therapy and targeted therapy. The center has accumulated rich experience in the early clinical research of new anti-tumor drugs.

President Liu Zhongmin fully affirmed the significance of this strategic collaboration, and put forward higher expectations and requirements for Biotheus and the oncology department of the hospital. He looked forward to closer cooperation between the two sides in new drug R&D and academic exchanges, not only developing domestic and even international leading anti-tumor drugs, but also bringing new models of R&D and application, new economic growth points as well as new business model through innovation.

About Biotheus

Incorporated in 2018, Biotheus has carried on its start-up vision “to inspire each other and create effective drugs for humankind”, focusing on malignant tumors and metabolic diseases while dedicating to the R&D and industrialization of the national category I innovative biological drugs, prioritizing the R&D of a new generation dual targeting antibody drugs. Since the establishment of Biotheus, three rounds of financing have been completed. Meanwhile, it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Zhuhai Gaoxin District government and received several supporting measures from the government, and it was also awarded as Zhuhai Unicorn Enterprise (potential enterprise).