HK Stock Market Move | Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals (01276) rose more than 5% in the afternoon. CLDN18.2 ADC gastric cancer indication included in the list of breakthrough therapies.

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals (01276) rose over 5% in the afternoon, rising 5.19% to HK$74.95 as of the time of publication, with a turnover of HK$55.6871 million. On the news front, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals announced that its independently developed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) - injectable SHR-A1904, has been officially included in the list of breakthrough therapeutic products by the National Medical Products Administration Drug Evaluation Center. The drug is intended for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma that is CLDN18.2-positive and has previously received at least first-line systemic therapy. According to the announcement, the inclusion in the breakthrough therapy program is based on the potential clinical value of the drug in specific indications. The Drug Evaluation Center will prioritize the allocation of review resources for this drug, provide enhanced development guidance, and accelerate its clinical development and market entry process. Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor in China, accounting for about 44% of new cases and 48.6% of deaths worldwide in 2020, with significant unmet clinical needs. The CLDN18.2 target is highly expressed in various gastrointestinal tumors and is currently a hot target for oncology drug development, with no similar ADC products approved for marketing globally.