Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical group of companies, has announced that the company  will support Suzhou Ascepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(Ascepion), a Chinese leading biotech company, for further development in China of Debio 1144, a small molecule in preclinical development for the treatment of a large spectrum of solid tumours.

Initially, Debiopharm and Ascepion had signed a license agreement for the development and commercialisation of Debio 1144, an orally available multikinase inhibitor. After having generated positive preclinical results with the product, Debiopharm has decided to support Ascepion for further development of Debio 1144 in China as it is well designed for the treatment of certain types of cancers that are highly represented in China.

Rolland-Yves Mauvernay, president and founder of Debiopharm Group, said, “This is an opportunity for Ascepion to develop an anti-cancer agent tailored to the Chinese market.” Mauvernay further added, “At Debiopharm we value sharing our competences with a Chinese company in view of developing a product with a potential to treat various cancers highly prevalent in emerging markets.”

“The disease spectrum of the Chinese population suggests the product will be well suited for its market. Thus it holds a great promise for certain cancer types in Chinese patients,” commented Dr Shan Jiang, president and CEO of Ascepion Pharmaceuticals.

Debio 1144 is a multikinase inhibitor, which has demonstrated strong efficacy in several preclinical models. It is orally available and has a large therapeutic index.

Suzhou Ascepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading biopharmaceutical company in China dedicated to the discovery and development of breakthrough small molecule drugs.

Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm) is a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical group of companies with a focus on the development of prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs.