NEW YORK – Chinese molecular diagnostics firm Burning Rock Biotech announced Sunday a strategic collaboration with CStone Pharmaceuticals to co-develop and commercialize companion diagnostics for Blueprint Medicines' pralsetinib in China.
Pralsetinib is an investigational treatment for the detection of RET alterations in cancer patients. Burning Rock Chief Medical Officer Hao Liu said in a statement that the collaboration is expected to promote standardization of RET gene testing in China. He added that Burning Rock would continue to develop companion diagnostics-related products based on advanced next-generation sequencing technology.
Positive clinical data for pralsetinib in RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer was announced at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Virtual Scientific Forum last month. It found an overall response rate of 73 percent to a daily starting dose of the drug in patients with no prior systemic therapy, and a 61 percent response rate in patients who previously received platinum-based chemotherapy.
Earlier this month, Burning Rock raised $281.2 million through its US initial public offering and a private placement.