The business model of in-licensing foreign drug assets has been seen as a shortcut to the launch of novel therapies in China. However, local regulatory challenges or unexpected twists in clinical development are threatening to derail some licensees’ efforts to leave behind their domestic rivals, as the case of KRAS G12C inhibitors well illustrates.
China’s KRAS Race: Homegrown Contenders Play Catch-Up
Gaining On In-Licensed Assets
The sizzling race for China’s first approved KRAS inhibitor has seen Amgen/BeiGene’s Lumakras drop out and Mirati/Zai Lab’s Krazati lag in a confirmatory Phase III trial, while domestic fast-followers are in the meantime eyeing their first approval filings by the end of this year.
