InnoCare Announces First Subject Dosed in Clinical Trial of TYK2 JH2 Allosteric Inhibitor ICP-488 in China

BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced today that the first subject has been dosed in clinical trial of the Company’s TYK2 JH2 allosteric inhibitor ICP-488 in China.

ICP-488 is a potent and selective TYK2 (tyrosine kinase 2) allosteric inhibitor being developed for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). By binding the JH2 domain with high specificity, ICP-488 blocks the signal transduction of IL-23, IL-12, type 1 IFN and other inflammatory cytokine, thereby inhibiting the pathological process of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Dr. Jasmine Cui, the co-founder, Chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare said, “ICP-488 is our third drug candidate entering into the clinic in the field of autoimmune disease. As a T-cell pathway regulator, it will further strengthen our autoimmune disease pipeline. With ICP-488 and other autoimmune disease drug candidates, we will provide diversified therapies for various unmet clinical needs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, in a bid to benefit patients with autoimmune diseases worldwide.”

Autoimmune disease has become the third major chronic disease besides cardiovascular disease and cancer. More than 100 different autoimmune diseases have been identified in the world, with the number of patients on the rise^1. The number of patients with psoriasis in China has reached 6.5 million². Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disorder that can impair patients’ physical health, quality of life, and work productivity. Despite a variety of systemic treatment options, many patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis remain persistently undertreated or even untreated, and current treatment options do not meet their medical needs. ICP-488 is a promising therapy for the treatment of these autoimmune and inflammatory diseases associated with abnormal activation of TYK2-mediated signaling pathway, such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.

About InnoCare

InnoCare is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class drugs for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. We strategically focus on liquid cancer, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases with high unmet medical needs in China and worldwide. InnoCare has branches in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and the United States.

¹ American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)

² 中国银屑病诊疗现状（蓝皮书）Situation of Psoriasis Diagnosis and Treatment in China (Blue Book)