On January 15, T-E Meds, founded by "Father of Antibodies" Chang Tse Wen, announced that it has licensed its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) TE-1146, developed for treating multiple myeloma, to Orient Europharma for the Taiwan and Southeast Asia markets. The licensing agreement, worth NT$270 million, will be accounted for in two installments this year. T-E Meds’ parent company, T-E Pharma Holding, also plans to initiate its listing application domestically, aiming to enter the capital market next year.
Additionally, T-E Pharma’s subsidiary Immunwork is advancing two innovative drug candidates. TE-8214, a treatment for acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumor symptoms, is set to apply for a Phase II clinical trial in the second half of this year. Meanwhile, TE-8105, an ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist, is undergoing Phase I/IIa clinical trials for overweight or obese patients and aims to complete trials by October this year.
Calvin Tsai, CEO of Orient Europharma, stated that the company is strategically positioning itself in the ADC drug market. It has already introduced one ADC drug to domestic medical institutions and announced on January 6 that it acquired the regional license for TE-1146, which is still in the preclinical stage. The licensed markets include Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Immunwork’s two advanced drug candidates are also progressing ahead of schedule. TE-8214, an ultra-long-acting octreotide, is undergoing a Phase I clinical trial in Australia, divided into four dose groups with eight participants per group. The trial, which recruited its last 32 participants by the end of last year, is expected to conclude by April, with a Phase II clinical trial application planned for the second half of this year. Meanwhile, TE-8105, an ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist primarily targeting weight loss, transitioned directly to a Phase I/IIa trial with approval from Australia’s ethics committee and is expected to complete trials by October this year.
According to Immunwork, TE-8105 demonstrated superior glycemic control compared to Semaglutide in spontaneous Type 2 diabetic mice when administered once every four days. Additionally, TE-8105 showed significantly better weight control in high-calorie diet-induced obese mice, requiring injections only once every two weeks, compared to the weekly dosing of currently available treatments.
TE-8214 and TE-8105 hold the potential to offer novel treatment options for patients, with expectations of better efficacy and fewer side effects. Leveraging its proprietary fatty acid conjugation technology, Immunwork is committed to developing innovative ultra-long-acting peptide drugs to address unmet medical needs worldwide, hoping to bring these two promising drugs to market as soon as possible to benefit more patients.
Resource: 友華以2.7億元向諦醫生技取得 ADC 新藥 TE-1146區域授權
