Hutchison MediPharma begins sulfatinib Phase I trial in US

Hutchison China MediTech Limited ("Chi-Med") (AIM: HCM) today announces that Hutchison MediPharma Limited ("HMP"), its drug R&D subsidiary, has initiated the Phase I clinical trial of sulfatinib (HMPL-012) in the United States. Its U.S. Investigational New Drug application was submitted and cleared earlier this year and the first patient was dosed on 4 November 2015. HMP is also planning to initiate two Phase III registration studies for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours ("NET") and a Phase Ib study for the treatment of thyroid cancer with sulfatinib in China by the end of 2015.

This Phase I dose escalation study is to assess the safety and tolerability of sulfatinib in U.S. patients with advanced solid tumours. A U.S. Phase II study in NET is expected to be initiated based on the conclusion of this Phase I dose escalation study.

Sulfatinib is an oral drug candidate that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity associated with the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor ("VEGFR") and fibroblast growth receptor ("FGFR"), a receptor for a protein which also plays a role in tumour growth. In a Phase I clinical trial in China focusing on NET patients, sulfatinib's objective response rate among the 18 efficacy-evaluable NET patients was 44.4%. By comparison, sunitinib and everolimus, the two approved single agent therapies for pancreatic NET, achieved objective response rates of less than 10% in their pivotal clinical trials. Furthermore, NET responses to sulfatinib have been observed to improve gradually with time. Results of the Phase I trial in China will be reported at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in November 2015 and will be made available at www.chi-med.com/news/ .

Sulfatinib is the first oncology candidate that HMP has taken through proof-of-concept in China and expanded to a U.S. clinical study without a partner.