Innovent and IASO Bio Boost Cell Therapy Collaboration

Innovent Biologics, Inc., a prominent biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative treatments for various diseases, along with IASO Biotechnology, a company specializing in cell therapies and antibody products, have reached a new collaborative agreement. This agreement involves IASO Bio purchasing Innovent’s rights related to FUCASO® (Equecabtagene Autoleucel) and acquiring an intellectual property license from Innovent, while Innovent will make an equity investment in IASO Bio.

Under this new strategic framework, IASO Bio will acquire Innovent's rights to FUCASO® as stipulated in the original "BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy Cooperation Agreement" for a predetermined price. Innovent plans to use the proceeds from this transaction to secure an 18% stake in IASO Bio. This enhanced partnership will enable both companies to integrate their efforts in cellular immunotherapy. IASO Bio will gain global commercial rights and intellectual property licenses for FUCASO® and will be solely responsible for its development, manufacturing, and marketing. Innovent, on the other hand, will be a strategic shareholder in IASO Bio.

FUCASO® was developed jointly by Innovent and IASO Bio and received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on June 30, 2023, for the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients who have undergone at least three prior treatments. This therapy is notable for being the world’s first approved fully human CAR-T product and the first BCMA CAR-T product approved in China. Furthermore, on March 28, 2024, FUCASO® obtained an investigational new drug (IND) application for RRMM patients who have undergone one to two prior therapies and are refractory to lenalidomide. In addition, it received IND approval in 2024 for treating autoimmune diseases such as refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in both China and the United States.

Dr. Michael Yu, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Innovent, expressed his appreciation for IASO Bio’s expertise and capabilities in cell therapy. He emphasized that this new collaboration model would utilize their combined strengths and resources more effectively. Dr. Yu highlighted that the collaboration would provide dedicated resources and teams focused on the comprehensive chain of manufacturing, development, and commercialization of CAR-T cell therapy. Innovent will continue to support IASO Bio as a strategic shareholder, with the shared goal of improving medication accessibility and offering hope to patients worldwide.

Similarly, Ms. Zhang Jinhua, Founder, Chairwoman, and CEO of IASO Bio, voiced her gratitude towards Innovent for their recognition and trust in IASO Bio’s research, development, and commercialization capabilities. She noted that their six-year partnership had witnessed mutual growth and innovation. Ms. Zhang expressed confidence that this new strategic alliance would create significant synergistic benefits for both parties, allowing them to advance innovative therapeutic solutions collaboratively. She reiterated IASO Bio’s commitment to bringing novel treatments to patients and looked forward to achieving mutual success with Innovent in their future strategic partnership.

Innovent, established in 2011, is dedicated to providing high-quality biopharmaceuticals globally. The company focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative medicines for challenging diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, autoimmune disorders, and ocular diseases. Innovent has launched several products and continues to expand its pipeline with numerous drugs in various stages of clinical trials and regulatory review.

On the other hand, IASO Bio is dedicated to developing novel cell therapies and biologics for oncology and autoimmune diseases. With a robust pipeline and comprehensive capabilities in drug development, IASO Bio aims to deliver transformative, curable, and affordable therapies to patients in China and globally.