American Society of Clinical Oncology confers highest honor upon Prof Hagop Kantarjian

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Jun 05, 2023, 00:30 ET

SUZHOU, China and ROCKVILLE, Md., June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and age-related diseases, today announced that its Clinical Advisory Board member Prof Hagop M. Kantarjian has received the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award for his lifelong contributions to leukemia clinical research and his dedication to improving the lives of patients.

Prof Kantarjian received the award at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, June 3, 2023, in Chicago, IL. The David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award is considered the highest honor that ASCO confers and has been presented annually since 1970 to recognize an oncologist who has made outstanding contributions to cancer research, diagnosis, and/or treatment.^1,2

Prof Kantarjian is The Chairman of the Department of Leukemia and Samsung Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. During his 40-year career, Prof Kantarjian has spearheaded practice-altering national and international clinical trials that culminated in numerous Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs and engendered new standards of care across leukemias. These therapies have significantly enhanced quality of life and improved survival rates across a range of leukemia subsets.² More recently, Prof Kantarjian has also provided leadership on the clinical development of next-generation BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.²

Prof Kantarjian’s ground-breaking work in meeting pivotal clinical challenges has culminated in publication of more than 2,200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 100 chapters in textbooks. Prof Kantarjian cofounded the world-renowned Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) in 2012 to foster research, education, prevention, clinical trials, and the optimization of care for patients with hematologic malignancies and related disorders. Since its founding and under Prof Kantarjian's leadership, SOHO has expanded to include nearly 7,000 members in 110 countries. A nonresident fellow at the Rice Baker Institute (Houston, TX), Prof Kantarjian has written widely on vital topics in contemporary cancer medicine.

"Dr. Kantarjian has dedicated his life to saving and enhancing the lives of patients with leukemia, renewing hope to millions of patients with unmet medical needs," said Dajun Yang, MD, PhD, Chairman of Ascentage Pharma "For decades, he has been at the forefront of the oncology community's efforts to end cancer. We are privileged that Dr. Kantarjian has chosen to share his wise counsel with our organization while serving with honor and distinction on the Ascentage Pharma Clinical Advisory Board."

References

1. American Society of Clinical Oncology. ASCO Congratulates 2023 Special Awards Recipients. May 25, 2023. https://ascopost.com/issues/may-25-2023/asco-congratulates-2023-special-awards-recipients/. Accessed June 7, 2023.

2. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. MD Anderson’s Hagop Kantarjian, M.D., awarded highest honor from American Society of Clinical Oncology. https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/hagop-kantarjian-md-awarded-highest-honor-american- society-clinical-oncology.h00-159617856.html. Accessed June 7, 2023.

About Ascentage Pharma

Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK.

Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of 9 clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 40 Phase I/II clinical trials in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including five Major New Drug Projects, one New Drug Incubator status, four Innovative Drug Programs, and one Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.

Olverembatinib, the company's core drug candidate developed for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the company's first approved product, has been granted two Priority Review Designations and two Breakthrough Therapy Designations (BTDs) by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). To date, the drug had been included into the China 2022 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Furthermore, olverembatinib has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and a Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the US FDA, and an Orphan Designation by the EMA of the EU. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 16 ODDs from the US FDA and 1 Orphan Designation from the EMA of the EU for 4 of the company's investigational drug candidates.

Leveraging its robust R&D capabilities, Ascentage Pharma has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with numerous renowned biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and research institutes such as UNITY Biotechnology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MSD, and AstraZeneca. The company has built a talented team with global experience in the discovery and development of innovative drugs and is setting up its world-class commercial manufacturing and Sales & Marketing teams. One pivotal aim of Ascentage Pharma is to continuously strengthen its R&D capabilities and accelerate its clinical development programs, in order to fulfil its mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients.

Forward-Looking Statements

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SOURCE Ascentage Pharma