NEW YORK – Burning Rock Biotech said on Thursday that it has entered a strategic partnership with Abbisko Therapeutics to develop a companion diagnostic assay for the pharma firm's ABSK091, formerly known as AZD4547.
The CDx assay will be used to detect FGFR genetic alterations in patients with urothelial carcinoma and will serve to advance clinical research and development of ABSK091, a small molecule FGFR inhibitor.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"ABSK091 has shown the potential to treat patients with FGFR signaling pathway-dependent tumors in previous studies. Our collaboration with Abbisko is expected to … further advance the standardization of FGFR detection for patients with urothelial carcinoma in China," Xinru Mao, head of Burning Rock's pharmaceutical business development, said in a statement.
Jing Ji, Abbisko's chief medical officer, added that the company has obtained investigational new drug approval from China's National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of patients with urothelial carcinoma and plans to soon initiate Phase Ib/II multicenter clinical trials in China.
"We look forward to working with Burning Rock to accelerate the clinical development and advance this innovative drug into market as early as possible to provide a novel treatment option for patients and doctors," Ji said.