20 May 2013Americas

RuiYi joins with Genor to develop cancer treatment

San Diego-Shanghai biotechnology startup RuiYi Inc has entered into an exclusive license and collaborative development agreement with Shanghai-based Genor BioPharma to develop the RYI-008 molecule in China.

RYI-008 is a novel anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody being developed for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer. A statement on RuiYi’s website said the molecule could define a new paradigm in the treatment of disease.

“RYI-008, with its unprecedented femtomolar potency and amazing long half-life has a therapeutic profile of once monthly, low milligram, subcutaneous dosing,” said RuiYi chief executive Paul Grayson.

He said approximately 4.1 million rheumatoid arthritis patients in China are in need of a cost-effective therapeutic option, and that RYI-008 is a “tremendous candidate for this novel development strategy.”

“The team at Genor has deep global development experience and strong commercial, regulatory, and government relationships in China, making them the ideal development partner. We look forward to working with them to deliver novel, breakthrough therapeutics for the Chinese healthcare system,” he added.

Shanghai-based Genor is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development and commercialisation of therapeutic monoclonal antibody and Fc-fusion drugs.

Genor’s chief executive Joe Zhou said: “The clinical data on IL-6 modulation continues to be extremely favourable in multiple diseases. The selection by RuiYi and Genor of RYI-008 for development shows a unique understanding of a changing healthcare environment in China where the cost-effective delivery of novel efficacious medicines is of significant importance.”

Belgian pharmaceutical company arGEN-X discovered and developed RYI-008, and exclusively licensed the molecule to RuiYi to develop and commercialise around the world in October 2012.

On May 14 RuiYi announced it had signed an agreement with Danish-American biopharmaceutical company CMC Biologics to develop a cell line for RYI-008.