HUTCHMED Highlights Data to be Presented at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

HONG KONG and SHANGHAI and FLORHAM PARK, N.J., April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM; HKEX:​13) today announces that new and updated data from several studies of compounds discovered by HUTCHMED including savolitinib, fruquintinib and surufatinib, which will be presented at the upcoming American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, taking place on April 25-30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Details of the presentations are as follows:

About Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths.¹ More than a third of the world's lung cancer patients are in China. Lung cancer is broadly split into non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC") and small cell lung cancer, with NSCLC accounting for about 80% of cases.² Approximately 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the US and Europe and 30-40% of patients in Asia have an epidermal growth factor receptor ("EGFR") mutation ("EGFRm").^3,4,5,6 Approximately 2-3% of NSCLC patients have tumors with MET exon 14 skipping alterations, a targetable mutation in the MET gene.⁷

About Savolitinib and MET Aberrations in Lung Cancer

Savolitinib is an oral, potent, and highly selective MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor ("TKI") being jointly developed by AstraZeneca and HUTCHMED and commercialized by AstraZeneca. MET is a tyrosine kinase receptor that has an essential role in normal cell development.⁸ Savolitinib blocks atypical activation of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase pathway that occurs because of mutations (such as exon 14 skipping alterations or other point mutations), gene amplification or protein overexpression. MET overexpression and/or amplification can lead to tumor growth and the metastatic progression of cancer cells, and is a known mechanism of acquired resistance to EGFR TKIs.^8,9 The prevalence of MET depends on the sample type, detection method and assay cut-off used.

Savolitinib is approved in China and is marketed under the brand name ORPATHYS^® by AstraZeneca for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with MET exon 14 skipping alteration, representing the first selective MET inhibitor approved in China. It is currently under clinical development for multiple tumor types, including lung, kidney, and gastric cancers as a single treatment and in combination with other medicines.  

About Savolitinib in combination with TAGRISSO^® (osimertinib)

Among patients who experience disease progression following treatment with a third-generation EGFR TKI, approximately 15-50% present with MET aberration, depending on the sample type, detection method and assay cut-off used. TAGRISSO^® is a third-generation, irreversible EGFR-TKI with proven clinical activity in NSCLC, including against central nervous system metastases. Treatment with savolitinib in combination with TAGRISSO^® has been studied extensively in these patients in the TATTON (NCT02143466) and SAVANNAH (NCT03778229) studies. The encouraging results led to the initiation of several Phase III trials in this setting including the SACHI trial in China (NCT05015608) and the global SAFFRON trial (NCT05261399), as well as the SANOVO trial in China (NCT05009836).

This combination represents a promising chemo-free oral treatment strategy to address mechanisms of resistance in this advanced setting. Positive data from the SACHI randomized Phase III trial has led to the filing of a second New Drug Application ("NDA") in China. Strong data from the SAVANNAH single-arm Phase II study was recently presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) in March 2025 demonstrated high, clinically meaningful and durable objective response rate (ORR), with consistent safety results. The SAFFRON randomized Phase III trial is progressing. Following AstraZeneca's consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), we look forward to completing the SAFFRON trial as soon as possible to support potential US and other global registration filings.

SACHI: The SACHI China Phase III trial met the primary endpoint of progression free survival (PFS) during its interim analysis towards the end of 2024 and a NDA was accepted and granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Priority Review status in China in December 2024. SACHI evaluated the combination of savolitinib and TAGRISSO^® for the treatment of patients with EGFRm, MET-amplified locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after progression on EGFR TKI compared to platinum-based doublet chemotherapy. Results will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference.

SAFFRON: In 2023, savolitinib and TAGRISSO^® received Fast Track Designation from the US FDA in this setting. The global SAFFRON Phase III trial is currently ongoing to assess the savolitinib plus TAGRISSO^® combination versus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy in patients with EGFRm, MET-overexpressed and/or amplified, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC following progression on treatment with TAGRISSO^®. Patients are being prospectively selected using the high MET level cut-off identified in SAVANNAH.

About HUTCHMED

HUTCHMED (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM; HKEX:​13) is an innovative, commercial-stage, biopharmaceutical company. It is committed to the discovery and global development and commercialization of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases. Since inception it has focused on bringing drug candidates from in-house discovery to patients around the world, with its first three medicines marketed in China, the first of which is also approved around the world including in the US, Europe and Japan. For more information, please visit: www.hutch-med.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect HUTCHMED's current expectations regarding future events, including but not limited to its expectations regarding the therapeutic potential of fruquintinib, savolitinib and surufatinib, the further clinical development for fruquintinib, savolitinib and surufatinib, its expectations as to whether any studies on fruquintinib, savolitinib and surufatinib would meet their primary or secondary endpoints, and its expectations as to the timing of the completion and the release of results from such studies. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, assumptions regarding enrollment rates and the timing and availability of subjects meeting a study's inclusion and exclusion criteria; changes to clinical protocols or regulatory requirements; unexpected adverse events or safety issues; the ability of fruquintinib, savolitinib and surufatinib, including as combination therapies, to meet the primary or secondary endpoint of a study, to obtain regulatory approval in different jurisdictions and to gain commercial acceptance after obtaining regulatory approval; the potential markets of fruquintinib, savolitinib and surufatinib for a targeted indication, and the sufficiency of funding. In addition, as certain studies rely on the use of osimertinib, capecitabine, sintilimab or tislelizumab, as combination therapeutics, such risks and uncertainties include assumptions regarding their safety, efficacy, supply and continued regulatory approval. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. For further discussion of these and other risks, see HUTCHMED's filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and on AIM. HUTCHMED undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Medical Information

This press release contains information about products that may not be available in all countries, or may be available under different trademarks, for different indications, in different dosages, or in different strengths. Nothing contained herein should be considered a solicitation, promotion or advertisement for any prescription drugs including the ones under development.

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