HLB Secures Global Rights for 'Camrelizumab' Combined with 'Lenvatinib'

Global Rights Secured Except for Korea and China
Expect Increased Efficiency with Integrated Marketing and More

HLB, dreaming of making the targeted anticancer drug 'Rivoceranib' a global blockbuster, has gained momentum by securing the global rights to 'Camrelizumab,' a key combination drug.

On the 17th, HLB announced that on the 16th, it reached an agreement to transfer the global rights of Hansoh Pharmaceutical's immuno-oncology drug 'Camrelizumab,' excluding Korea and China, to Elevar, HLB's US subsidiary. The rights within Korea are held by CG Inbites (formerly Crystal Genomics).

With this, HLB and Elevar have secured not only the global rights to their targeted anticancer drug 'Rivoceranib' but also the global rights in the liver cancer field for the key combination immuno-oncology drug 'Camrelizumab.'

Rivoceranib and Camrelizumab presented innovative results at last year's European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), where the median overall survival (mOS), a key efficacy indicator, reached 22.1 months, surpassing 20 months for the first time in first-line liver cancer treatment, raising expectations for their growth as global blockbusters. Currently, the FDA review for Rivoceranib began in July, and for Camrelizumab in August, with both expected to receive review results around May next year.

Under this agreement, Hansoh Pharmaceutical will receive royalties of up to $1 billion (approximately 1.3538 trillion KRW) cumulatively over 10 years based on sales volume in the liver cancer field after the start of Camrelizumab sales.

This decision was made based on the judgment that it is advantageous for Elevar to handle the entire commercialization process, including marketing and sales, for the two drugs that must be prescribed together after approval as liver cancer treatments to maximize sales. This not only secures a global partnership for the liver cancer treatment expected to be approved in the first half of next year but also provides strong momentum for early sales launch. Joint marketing and integrated sales systems for the two drugs targeting major US cancer specialty hospitals will enable greater synergy effects in various aspects such as brand awareness enhancement, prescription inducement, and cost reduction.

Seho Jung, CEO of Elevar, said, "The combination therapy of the two drugs, which showed the longest survival period in liver cancer clinical history in the global phase 3 trial, will bring revolutionary changes to the treatment of liver cancer patients. The fact that the combination drugs were products of different companies could have been a weakness in marketing, but by completely overcoming this, commercialization can proceed faster and more efficiently."

Jinyang Gon, Chairman of HLB Group, who led cooperation between the two companies following a visit to Hansoh Pharmaceutical in early July, said, "To secure a definite competitive advantage in the fiercely contested first-line liver cancer treatment market, it was essential for one company to hold the rights and conduct marketing for both drugs. Now that our company has secured the sales leadership for the two liver cancer treatments, we will devote all efforts not only to the final FDA approval but also to commercialization preparation to establish ourselves as the best-in-class anticancer drugs in the liver cancer field."