Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”), a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, announced that it will commence Phase I studies of ISM8207, the drug candidate co-developed with Fosun Pharma (600196.SH, 02196.HK) for the treatment of advanced malignant tumors. This marks the first clinical milestone reached by Insilico Medicine in its strategic collaboration with Fosun Pharma.
ISM8027, a potentially first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of QPCTL, mimics the therapeutic effect of CD47 antibodies by attacking tumor cells, blocking the cells’ "don't eat me" signal. ISM8027 also inhibits the activity of chemotactic cytokines to remodel the composition of myeloid cells in tumors, giving them pro-inflammatory characteristics, thereby enhancing the anti-tumor efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In early studies, scientists at Insilico used the generative AI-driven drug discovery platform Pharma.AI to identify oncology targets and design candidate compounds with favorable druggability.
In January 2022, Insilico announced a strategic collaboration with Fosun Pharma to advance its generative AI-driven drug discovery programs globally, and in February 2022 Insilico and Fosun jointly nominated the preclinical candidate for QPCTL. In July 2023, the QPCTL program progressed into human clinical trials. In preclinical studies, ISM8207 demonstrated anti-tumor activity in both hematological tumors and solid tumors, as well as favorable pharmacokinetics and safety profiles. As a small molecule inhibitor, ISM8207 not only provides high tumor penetration but also reduces potential hematologic and antigen sink side effects, thus avoiding the shortcomings of CD47 antibodies. Supported by positive preclinical results, scientists at Insilico and Fosun will proceed with clinical studies to further develop ISM8207 globally.
“I am excited to announce the first clinical milestone achieved in the collaboration between Insilico and Fosun Pharma due to the joint efforts of our R&D teams,” said Feng Ren, PhD, co-CEO and CSO of Insilico. “Today, there are still uncertainties about antibody drugs targeting the CD47-SIRPα pathway. Its inhibition by targeting QPCTL transforms ‘cold tumors’ to ‘hot tumors’ to enhance the sensitivity for existing tumor immunotherapy while avoiding erythrocyte phagocytosis and antigen sink. Fosun Pharma's R&D team has rich experience in project management and clinical development, and we are working closely with them to actively prepare for the next stage of clinical exploration.”
“AI is deepening and expanding innovation in medicine and health,” said Xingli Wang, Ph.D., Executive President and co-CEO of the Innovative Medicines Division and CEO of Fosun’s Global R&D Center. “We are pleased to see the IND approval of ISM8207, the first anti-tumor drug candidate developed in collaboration with Insilico, which is an important milestone in the R&D and clinical development cooperation between the two parties. As an innovation-driven pharmaceutical and healthcare industry group, Fosun Pharma is committed to improving access to medicines through continuous innovation and joint efforts with our partners to address unmet clinical needs."
Insilico leverages modern machine learning technologies such as generative AI, reinforcement learning, and multi-model transformers in AI drug discovery, and has an end-to end generative AI drug discovery platform, Pharma.AI, spanning biology, chemistry, and clinical trials analysis. Powered by Pharma.AI, Insilico has developed a comprehensive portfolio of more than 30 pipelines and 29 targets, with 4 programs currently in clinical stage. Its lead program for the chronic rare lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is currently in Phase II clinical trials.
About Insilico Medicine
Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, connects biology, chemistry, and clinical trials analysis using next-generation AI systems. The company has developed AI platforms that utilize deep generative models, reinforcement learning, transformers, and other modern machine learning techniques to discover novel targets and to design novel molecular structures with desired properties. Insilico Medicine delivers breakthrough solutions to discover and develop innovative drugs for cancer, fibrosis, immunity, central nervous system (CNS), and aging-related diseases.
For more information, visit www.insilico.com
About Fosun Pharma
Founded in 1994, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd.* ("Fosun Pharma"; stock code: 600196. SH, 02196. HK) is a global innovation-driven pharmaceutical and healthcare industry group. Fosun Pharma directly operates businesses including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical diagnosis, and healthcare services. As a shareholder of Sinopharm Co., Ltd., Fosun Pharma expands its areas in the pharmaceutical distribution and retail business.
Fosun Pharma is patient-centered and clinical needs-oriented. The company continuously enriches its innovative product pipeline through independent research and development, cooperative development, license-in, and in-depth incubation. Fosun Pharma improves the research and clinical development capabilities of FIC (First-in-class) and BIC (Best-in-class) new drugs as well as accelerates the R&D and launch of innovative technologies and products.
Guided by the 4IN strategy (Innovation, Internationalization, Intelligentization, and Integration), Fosun Pharma will uphold the development model of “Innovation Transformation, Integrated Operation and Steady Growth", with the mission of creating shareholder values through strengthening its independent R&D and external cooperation and enriching its product pipelines, as well as promoting the global networks and enhancing operational efficiency. Fosun Pharma will actively promote the digital and physical business layout in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry and is committed to becoming a first-class enterprise in the global pharmaceutical and healthcare markets.
For more information, visit www.fosunpharma.com