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CHENGDU, China, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress will be held in Madrid, Spain, from October 23 to 27. Multiple Phase III clinical studies of the TROP2 ADC sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT, also known as SKB264/MK-2870) (佳泰莱®) developed by Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Kelun-Biotech” or the “Company”, 6990.HK) have been selected as Late-Breaking Abstracts (LBAs) and the study results will be presented as oral reports. Abstract titles of these studies have been published on the official website of ESMO. Among them, the Phase III studies of OptiTROP-Lung04 and OptiTROP-Lung06 have both been selected for the “Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Metastatic” session and will be presented in the same time slot as proffered paper presentations, as follows:
Title: Sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT) plus pembrolizumab (P) versus chemotherapy (chemo) plus pembrolizumab (P) as first-line (1L) treatment for PD-L1 negative advanced non-squamous (nsq) NSCLC: randomized phase 3 OptiTROP-Lung06 study
Presentation Type: Proffered paper | NSCLC, metastatic
Presentation #: LBA66
Date and Time: October 25, 10:15 to 11:45 local time
Title: Final OS analysis of sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT) versus platinum-based chemotherapy in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after progression on EGFR-TKI: phase III OptiTROP-Lung04 study
Presentation Type: Proffered paper | NSCLC, metastatic
Presentation #: LBA67
Date and Time: October 25, 10:15 to 11:45 local time
A Phase III study, TroFuse-005, evaluating sac-TMT in patients with previously treated advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC), has also been selected as an LBA at this Congress and will be presented in an oral report in the Presidential Symposium.
Title: Sacituzumab Tirumotecan in Previously Treated Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer: Results from the Phase 3 TroFuse-005/ENGOT-en23/GOG-3095 Study
Presentation Type: Presidential Symposium
Presentation #: LBA11
Date and Time: October 26, 16:30 to 18:15 local time
Other sac-TMT studies to be presented at this Congress are as follows:
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Title |
Presentation Type |
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Final OS analysis of sacituzumab tirumotecan versus |
Rapid oral |
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Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (Sac-TMT) + Pembrolizumab (Pembro) |
Rapid oral |
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Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (Sac-TMT) + Pembrolizumab (Pembro) |
Poster |
About sac-TMT(佳泰莱®)
Sac-TMT, a core product of the Company, is a novel human TROP2 ADC in which the Company has proprietary intellectual property rights, targeting advanced solid tumors such as NSCLC, breast cancer (BC), gastric cancer (GC), gynecological tumors and genitourinary tumors, among others. Sac-TMT is developed with a unique, bifunctional linker that maximizes payload delivery to tumor cells both through its irreversible connection with the anti-TROP2 monoclonal antibody sacituzumab and its pH-sensitive cleavage from KL610023, a belotecan-derivative topoisomerase I inhibitor payload in the lysosome, with a drug-to-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 7.4. Sac-TMT specifically recognizes TROP2 on the surface of tumor cells by recombinant anti-TROP2 humanized monoclonal antibodies, which is then endocytosed by tumor cells and releases the payload KL610023 intracellularly. KL610023 induces DNA damage to tumor cells, which in turn leads to cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. In addition, it also releases KL610023 in the tumor microenvironment. Given that KL610023 is membrane permeable, it can enable a bystander effect, or in other words kill adjacent tumor cells.
In May 2022, the Company licensed the exclusive rights to MSD (the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA) to develop, use, manufacture and commercialize sac-TMT in all territories outside of Greater China (which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan).
To date, four indications for sac-TMT have been approved and marketed in China for: 1) unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have received at least two prior systemic therapies (at least one of them for advanced or metastatic setting); 2) EGFR mutant-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC following progression on EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy; 3) EGFR mutant-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who progressed after treatment with EGFR-TKI therapy; 4) unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) (Immunohistochemistry (IHC) 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/In Situ Hybridization (ISH)-) BC who have received prior endocrine therapy and at least one line of chemotherapy in advanced setting. The first two indications above have been included in China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). This inclusion is expected to bring clinically meaningful benefits to a greater number of patients with BC and NSCLC. Additionally, sac-TMT has been granted six Breakthrough Therapy Designations by the NMPA.
Sac-TMT is the world’s first TROP2 ADC drug approved for marketing in lung cancer. Two new indication applications have been accepted for review by the NMPA and have been included in the priority review and approval process: 1) sac-TMT in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) as first‑line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have PD-L1 TPS≥1% and are EGFR-negative and ALK-negative; 2) sac‑TMT as first‑line treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic TNBC who have a PD‑L1 combined positive score (CPS) <10 or have recurred after prior PD‑1/PD‑L1 inhibitor therapy in the early stage, two applications have been included in the priority review and approval process. As of today, Kelun-Biotech has initiated 9 registrational clinical studies in China. MSD has initiated 18 ongoing global Phase III clinical studies of sac-TMT as a monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab or other anti-cancer agents for several types of cancer. These studies are sponsored and led by MSD.
About Kelun-Biotech
Kelun-Biotech (6990.HK) is a holding subsidiary of Kelun Pharmaceutical, which focuses on the R&D, manufacturing, commercialization and global collaboration of innovative biological drugs and small molecule drugs. Kelun-Biotech focuses on major disease areas such as solid tumors, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases, and in establishing a globalized drug development and industrialization platform to address the unmet medical needs in China and the rest of world. Kelun-Biotech is committed to becoming a leading global enterprise in the field of innovative drugs. At present, Kelun-Biotech has more than 30 ongoing key innovative drug projects, of which 4 projects with 8 indications have been approved for marketing, 2 projects with 3 indications are in the NDA stage and more than 10 projects are in the clinical stage. Kelun-Biotech has established one of the world’s leading proprietary ADC and novel DC platforms, OptiDC™, and has 2 ADC projects with 5 indications approved for marketing, and multiple ADC and novel DC assets in clinical or preclinical research stage. For more information, please visit: https://en.kelun-biotech.com/.
