LX-132 is a novel cancer therapeutic approved for clinical trials in 2023 by China’s National Medical Products Administration based on the IND application of Guangzhou Salustier Biosciences. LX-132 is a promising compound that targets the fibroblast growth factor receptor family, which plays a role in the abnormal growth of many types of cancer. LX-132 is expected to bring breakthrough progress to global cancer treatment.
LX-132 was developed jointly with Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is part of a long-standing collaboration between New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China, supported by MBIE, and led by Associate Professors Jeff Smaill and Adam Patterson, University of Auckland medical oncology researchers and Maurice Wilkins Centre investigators (based at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre), as well as Professors Ding Ke (Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences). The Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Maurice Wilkins Centre have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration since 2012, culminating in the establishment of the “China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health”. The development of LX-132 also stands as a significant achievement of this joint laboratory.
The signing took place at the New Zealand-China Enterprise Cooperation Conference held in Guangzhou. Associate Professors Jeff Smaill and Adam Patterson attended the conference alongside Trade Minister Todd McClay and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.
“Built on the work of UniServices in China over many years, this bilingual agreement has been the object of negotiation for many months. We are very grateful for the contributions and commitments of all the parties in making this deal a reality, including the assistance of NZTE”, says Dr Pau Medrano, Investment Director for the Life Sciences.
The multi-million-dollar deal will benefit cancer patients world-wide.
“This agreement represents one of the largest biopharmaceutical commercialisation deals between New Zealand and China, and a hopeful step towards improving outcomes for cancer patients worldwide,” says Dr Medrano.
“It has been a pleasure working with our colleagues at Guangzhou Salustier Biosciences and the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences to create a product that will benefit the many cancer patients in their treatment,” says Associate Professor Jeff Smaill.
Additionally, eight New Zealand companies from professional manufacturing industries such as biomedicine, instruments and equipment, aviation logistics, and security technology, as well as consumer products such as dairy products, fruits, and nutrition and health, reached agreements with their respective partners and released new projects and new products, adding more heat to the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
“It was exciting to be representing New Zealand at such an important multi-national event,” says Associate Professor Adam Patterson.
“We're hopeful to bring a trial to New Zealand, and we're trying to understand what will happen with the rest-of-world rights, and so we're waiting see how the Chinese phase I trial goes,” says Associate Professor Jeff Smaill.
