1cBio, Lee’s Pharm Ink License Agreement for PARP1 Inhibitor in China, Southeast Asia

Editor’s Take: The agreement strengthens 1cBio’s position as a developer of innovative therapies for serious, underserved conditions, including in oncology.

1cBio and Lee’s Pharmaceutical agreed to a licensing deal giving Lee’s Pharm exclusive rights to develop and commercialize 1cBio’s OC-3. The agreement applies to China and certain countries in Southeast Asia.

Also included in the partnership: a drug supply manufacturing agreement. In total, 1cBio could receive up to $27 million, inclusive of upfront payments, development and sales milestones, and future royalties.

Importance of PARP1

OC-3 is a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibitor. 1cBio says it may be potentially first-in-class for treatment of cancers defective in DNA homologous recombination repair. Among these—typically having known mutations in DNA repair genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2)—are prostate, ovarian, breast, and pancreatic cancers.

According to 1cBio, OC3 demonstrated potent anticancer activities in preclinical models of cancers with this type of DNA repair deficiency.

1cBio and Lee’s Responsibilities

Under the agreement, 1cBio can access and use any data generated for a U.S. FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) filing. Lee’s Pharm takes responsibility for good laboratory practice (GLP) safety studies. Lee’s will also oversee any manufacturing activities needed to gain regulatory approval in China and the included Southeast Asian territories.

“This agreement provides 1cBio a valued China-based drug development and commercialization partner for OC-3,” 1cBio CEO Andrew Protter, PhD, said. “1cBio collaborates with a team [with] a robust oncology group, strong manufacturing capabilities, and a proven ability to advance assets.”

“We believe that OC-3’s PARP1 inhibitor has the potential to become important,” Lee’s Pharm Founder and Director Benjamin Li said. “[It has] a differentiated profile that may offer meaningful improvements in both safety and efficacy. We are pleased to enter into this collaborative development agreement with 1cBio and look forward to working together.”