HLB's 'Lenvatinib' Combination Therapy for Liver Cancer Designated as 'Preferred Recommendation Therapy' in China

HLB's anticancer new drug, Rivoceranib, in combination therapy for liver cancer patients has been listed as a 'priority recommended regimen,' the highest priority in treatment guidelines in China.

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Photo by HLB

According to HLB on the 17th, on the 15th, the National Health Commission (NHC) of China released the 'Primary Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (2024 Edition)' in China. This guideline introduces the optimal treatment methods to medical staff and researchers to improve the efficacy and safety of liver cancer treatment.

The NHC mentioned that the combination therapy of Rivoceranib and Camrelizumab, an immuno-oncology drug from Hansoh Pharmaceutical, is the only combination of a novel angiogenesis tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and immune checkpoint inhibitor that has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the control group in first-line treatment of liver cancer. The basis for designating it as a priority recommended regimen was the major global phase 3 results of the combination therapy published in The Lancet. The Rivoceranib combination therapy demonstrated a median overall survival (OS) of 22.1 months at the 2022 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the longest OS ever proven in clinical trials for liver cancer treatments.

OS, along with progression-free survival (PFS), is one of the most important indicators used to evaluate the efficacy of anticancer drugs. It refers to the period from the start of the treatment until the patient's death, including the time during which the patient may receive other treatments.

HLB is also pursuing listing in the U.S. Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines through its U.S. subsidiary, Elevar Therapeutics, which is responsible for sales of the two drugs in the United States.

Han Yonghae, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of HLB Group, said, “Being designated as a priority recommended regimen in China officially recognizes the superior therapeutic effect of Rivoceranib combination therapy compared to competing drugs,” and added, “New drug approval and NCCN listing are expected soon in the U.S., and sales will begin in earnest from the third quarter.”