G1 Therapeutics, Inc. , a clinical-stage oncology company, and Genor Biopharma Co. Inc., a pre-commercial stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing immune-oncology therapeutics, today announced an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of lerociclib in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan).

Discovered and developed by G1, lerociclib is a differentiated oral CDK4/6 inhibitor designed to enable more effective combination treatment strategies. Genor is currently developing eight novel, clinical-stage oncology compounds and recently completed a $160 million Series B financing led by Hillhouse Capital and Temasek Holdings.

“CDK4/6 inhibitors have emerged as an important therapeutic option for women with ER+, HER2- breast cancer, the most common form of the disease. We designed lerociclib to improve upon the clinical profiles of currently available CDK4/6 inhibitors, and preliminary data from our Phase 1b/2 clinical trial have shown a differentiated safety and tolerability profile along with efficacy consistent with marketed CDK4/6 inhibitors,” said Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer. “This agreement is an important component of our corporate strategy to form partnerships that enable global access to our promising oncology therapies. We are excited to collaborate with Genor, a leading innovator in oncology with the development and commercialization expertise to advance this therapy on behalf of patients in China and other Asia-Pacific countries.”

Under the terms of the agreement, G1 will receive an upfront cash payment of $6 million and be eligible to receive up to an additional $40 million in development and commercial milestone payments. In addition, Genor will pay G1 tiered royalties ranging from high single to low double-digits based on annual net sales of lerociclib. Genor will have exclusive development and commercialization rights for lerociclib in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan).

“We see significant unmet medical need in Asian patients with HR+, HER2- breast cancer in both adjuvant and metastatic settings, especially among intermediate and high-risk patients whose longer treatment duration requires therapeutics with better tolerability. Lerociclib is a potentially best-in-class CDK4/6 inhibitor, with robust efficacy and a differentiated safety profile when compared with marketed products,” commented Guo Feng, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genor. “With lerociclib as a strategic fit in our portfolio, we look forward to working with G1 to maximize the potential of this compound in the APAC region.”