BeOne Medicines’ Sonrotoclax Granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by U.S. FDA

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- BeOne Medicines Ltd. (Nasdaq: ONC; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for sonrotoclax, a next-generation and potentially best-in-class investigational BCL2 inhibitor, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Additionally, the FDA has accepted BeOne’s request for participation in Project Orbis, an initiative that provides a framework for concurrent submission and review of oncology products among participating global health authorities.

“Breakthrough Therapy Designation is reserved for medicines with the potential to transform outcomes for patients with serious diseases. This recognition affirms the strength of the emerging data for sonrotoclax and its potential to become a new standard of care for people with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma,” said Julie Lepin, Senior Vice President, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer at BeOne. “Additionally, by participating in Project Orbis, we may be able to accelerate access to sonrotoclax, potentially helping patients faster than previously imagined.”

The decision by the FDA to grant sonrotoclax BTD and participation in Project Orbis was based on data from the BGB-11417-201 study, a Phase 1/2 study evaluating sonrotoclax in adult patients with R/R MCL, following treatment with a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) and anti-CD20 therapy. The recently announced positive topline results for sonrotoclax underscore its potential to deliver deep and durable responses, giving it the potential to be the first and only BCL2 inhibitor approved for use in R/R MCL in the U.S. BeOne plans to present the full data at an upcoming medical meeting. The Phase 3 confirmatory CELESTIAL-RRMCL study (BGB-11417-302; NCT06742996) is underway.

The FDA grants BTD to medicines with early data suggesting they may offer significant advances for patients with serious diseases. Project Orbis, established by the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence in 2019, facilitates collaboration across regulatory bodies on the review of oncology medicines with the goal of making promising cancer therapies available to patients more quickly across participating countries.

This is the first BTD for sonrotoclax and the second for BeOne’s hematology program. The FDA has also granted sonrotoclax Fast Track Designation for MCL and Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), as well as Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of adult patients with MCL, WM, multiple myeloma (MM), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These designations help reinforce sonrotoclax’s position as the next major advancement in BeOne’s commitment to redefining care in B-cell malignancies.

About Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare subtype of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)¹ that develops in B-cells located in the mantle zone of the lymph nodes. MCL accounts for approximately 5% of all NHL cases globally², affecting an estimated 28,000 people³. MCL is often diagnosed at advanced stages⁴ and nearly all MCL patients will eventually develop refractory or relapsed (R/R) disease.⁵ The five-year survival rate for MCL is approximately 50%, reflecting the urgent need for new therapeutic options.⁶

About BGB-11417-201 Study

The BGB-11417-201 (NCT05471843) study is a global, multicenter, single-arm, open-label, Phase 1/2 study, which enrolled 125 adult patients with R/R MCL post-treatment with anti-CD20 therapy and a BTK inhibitor. In Part 1, 22 patients received daily treatment with either 160 mg or 320 mg of sonrotoclax to assess the safety and tolerability of sonrotoclax and identify the recommended dose for Part 2. In Part 2, 103 patients were enrolled to receive the recommended daily dose of sonrotoclax (320 mg), following ramp-up, to assess the efficacy of sonrotoclax. The primary endpoint is overall response rate (ORR), as assessed by an independent review committee (IRC). Secondary endpoints include complete response (CR) rate, duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS).

About Sonrotoclax (BGB-11417)

Sonrotoclax is a next-generation and potentially best-in-class investigational inhibitor of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), which is one of several proteins that help cancer cells survive. It is part of a group of drugs called BH3 mimetics, which mimic natural cell death signals. Studies in the lab and during early drug development have shown that sonrotoclax is a highly potent and specific inhibitor of BCL2 with a short half-life and no drug accumulation. Sonrotoclax has shown promising clinical activity across a range of B-cell malignancies, and nearly 2,000 patients have been enrolled to date across the broad global development program.

About BeOne

BeOne Medicines is a global oncology company domiciled in Switzerland that is discovering and developing innovative treatments that are more accessible to cancer patients worldwide. With a portfolio spanning hematology and solid tumors, BeOne is expediting development of its diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics through its internal capabilities and collaborations. With a growing global team of more than 11,000 colleagues spanning six continents, the Company is committed to radically improving access to medicines for far more patients who need them.

To learn more about BeOne, please visit www.beonemedicines.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential benefits of sonrotoclax; BeOne’s ability to accelerate access to sonrotoclax through participating in Project Orbis; sonrotoclax’s potential to be the first and only BCL2 inhibitor approved for use in R/R MCL in the U.S.; BeOne’s plans to present the full data from the BGB-11417-201 study at an upcoming medical meeting; and BeOne’s plans, commitments, aspirations and goals under the caption “About BeOne.” Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including BeOne’s ability to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; BeOne’s ability to achieve commercial success for its marketed medicines and drug candidates, if approved; BeOne's ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its medicines and technology; BeOne’s reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing, commercialization, and other services; BeOne’s limited experience in obtaining regulatory approvals and commercializing pharmaceutical products; BeOne’s ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development of its drug candidates and achieve and maintain profitability; and those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in BeOne’s most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in BeOne’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and BeOne undertakes no duty to update such information unless required by law.

To access BeOne media resources, please visit our Newsroom.

¹ Jain, P., and Wang, M. L. (2022). Mantle cell lymphoma: 2022 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and clinical management. American Journal of Hematology, 97(5), 638–656. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.26523
² Ferlay, J., et al. (2024). Global Cancer Observatory: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. International Agency for Research on Cancer. https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/34-non-hodgkin-lymphoma-fact-sheet.pdf
³ Association of Community Cancer Centers. Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma. https://www.accc-cancer.org/home/learn/cancer-types/hematologic-malignancies/mcl
⁴ Cencini, E., et al. (2024). Survival outcomes of patients with mantle cell lymphoma: A retrospective, 15-year, real-life study. Hematology Reports, 16(1), 50–62. https://doi.org/10.3390/hematolrep16010006
⁵ Burkart, M., and Karmali R. (2022). Relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma: Beyond BTK inhibitors. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12(3), 376. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12030376
⁶ Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Mantle cell lymphoma. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24030-mantle-cell-lymphoma

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