21 December 2018 - - US-based Spirita Oncology, LLC has entered into a sublicense agreement with JS Innopharm (Shanghai) Ltd. to initiate global clinical development of E6201, a potent MEK1 inhibitor with excellent brain penetration, the company said.

In August 2018, Strategia Holdings, LLC, a parent company of Spirita Oncology, LLC, and JS Innopharm initiated a Strategic Partnership Alliance to facilitate global drug development.

This China sublicense of E6201 is conducted as part of these activities.

In November 2018, Spirita Oncology and The University of Arizona Cancer Center announced the Initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of the E6201 in patients with central nervous system metastases from BRAF+ or MEK-mutated metastatic melanoma.

In a previous study (NCT00794781), E6201 demonstrated activity in metastatic melanoma, including a patient who maintains an exceptional ongoing durable response lasting for almost nine years.

Spirita Oncology is an integrated oncology research and development company with experience in developing, managing and optimising global pharmaceutical drug development programmes from late discovery, translational research and clinical development through market authorization and post-marketing life-cycle management.

JS InnoPharm (Shanghai) is a biotech company focused on development of innovative, targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for cancer therapeutics.

The company is building a strong portfolio of therapeutic programs consist of small molecule drug candidates that target cancer signaling pathways including MAPK.