On September 8, during the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), Henlius successfully hosted the "Deep Dive, Broad Impact: Global Lung Cancer Dialogue" Global Oncologists Reception in Barcelona, Spain. The event brought together leading oncology experts, clinical researchers, international partners, and industry leaders from countries such as the United States, China, and Japan. Discussions focused on global clinical progress of Henlius’ key innovations in lung cancer treatment including the PD-L1 ADC HLX43, along with the company's R&D strategy, international collaboration and expansion efforts to bring therapies to patients worldwide.
Dr. Jason Zhu, Executive Director and CEO of Henlius, stated in his opening speech: "For the past 15 years, Henlius has remained committed to addressing patient needs, adhering to international standards, and pursuing differentiated innovation. Currently, the company has nine products approved for marketing globally, with several key therapies successfully entering major markets in Europe and the United States and achieving significant milestones. Now, at this new starting point, we will expand our global collaboration network, accelerate clinical development and commercialization, and strive to deliver more high-quality, affordable innovative treatments to patients around the world as quickly as possible."
Dr. Fred Hirsch, former CEO of IASLC and Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, also joined the event as the U.S. leading principal investigator for HLX43. He commented: "The preliminary results of HLX43 are promising — this next-generation immunotherapy shows particular potential for patients who have progressed after first-line treatment, especially those with squamous histology. And particularly here, HLX43 seems to be effective and that is very encouraging. In general, we need better drugs and I believe that ADCs can contribute to that improvement. So I'm very excited about this drug development and hopefully that will be all good for the patients."
Professor Jie Wang from the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the leading principal investigator for the Phase 1 clinical trial of HLX43, remarked in a video message: "The study results of HLX43 demonstrate a favorable safety profile and encouraging early efficacy across several patient groups — particularly in the highly challenging field of wild-type NSCLC, where effective treatment options remain limited. This brings new therapeutic hope to lung cancer patients worldwide. I firmly believe that, in the years ahead, more innovations originating from China will play an increasingly vital role in transforming treatment paradigms for major diseases such as lung cancer."
Dr. David Gandara, the principal leading investigators of the ASTRIDE study, Professor Emeritus and Co-Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC), stated in a video messgae: "It has been my great privilege to work with Henlius. For all of their projects, not only the ASTRIDE trial for example in small cell lung cancer, but to look at the wonderful resource that Henlius is developing in their drug pipeline, that is the future of cancer treatment. Bringing those drugs to the United States, for example, will be of great benefit to our patients. Henlius has already shown that they can do this in a highly scientific and also cost effective and timely efficient."
Ms. Cao Ping, Chief Business Development Officer and Senior Vice President of Henlius, emphasized in her keynote address: "From delivering the first supply shipment from China to India in just 51 days, to achieving efficient registration, approval, and supply chain coordination across global markets, Henlius continues to break new ground. Our commercial network now spans more than 30 countries and regions, working in partnership with industry leaders such as Abbott, Accord, and Organon to ensure rapid and sustained patient access to our products." She further noted, "Globalization means more than exporting products—it’s about building trusted, win‑win partnerships that integrate Chinese innovation into the worldwide healthcare system and deliver treatment options that are both accessible and affordable to patients."
Dr. Jijun Yuan, Chief Scientific Officer of Henlius, introduced the company's R&D strategy and vision, stating: "As a biopharma rooted in China and oriented globally, Henlius has always driven its R&D strategy through innovation, actively deploying mAb, bispecific antibodies, ADCs, and small molecules in a diversified pipeline. Leveraging core technologies such as tri-specific T-cell engagers, HanjugatorTM ADC platform, and AI-driven platforms, we continuously explore better therapies." He pointed out that Henlius will continue to focus on high-incidence cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer, and gastrointestinal tumours, striving to rapidly and efficiently translate cutting-edge science into clinical practice to provide global patients with more differentiated and accessible treatment options.
Qingyu Wang, China Chief Medical Officer and GM of Clinical Development Department of Henlius, provided a detailed overview of the global development strategy for serplulimab. She highlighted that the company's core self-developed anti-PD-1 mAb, has demonstrated clinically meaningful differentiation from other agents in its class—notably delivering breakthrough efficacy in difficult-to-treat tumours such as small cell lung cancer. "We are accelerating multiple international multi-center clinical trials," she stated, "including in limited-stage small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer, with the goal of delivering longer and higher-quality survival to patients worldwide through a differentiated and innovative development strategy."
During the panel discussion session, Ely Benaim, U.S. Chief Medical Officer of Henlius, engaged in in-depth exchanges with experts from multiple international top cancer centers regarding the latest research progress of HLX43. They explored its clinical potential in indications such as non-small cell lung cancer and the future development direction of ADC therapy. Dr. Jianjun Zhang from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States, serving as the principal investigator for HLX43, stated: "HLX43 innovatively combines the dual advantages of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and ADC technology. Its unique design supports drug administration once every three weeks, significantly improving patients' quality of life and medication convenience. The existing data shows excellent performance, and we look forward to this drug achieving breakthroughs in salvage setting and gradually advancing to frontline therapy, enabling more patients to gain long-term survival benefits." Professor Shun Lu from Shanghai Chest Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University shared a video message. He stated: "From participating in international multi-center studies to developing first-in-class drugs, China has achieved a leap from following to leading. HLX43, as a globally leading PD-L1 ADC, has demonstrated promising safety and broad-spectrum efficacy in its preliminary data. It offers new hope for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer—particularly those who have failed standard therapies. This breakthrough not only addresses an unmet clinical need but also signals that innovative drugs from China are truly going global."
In the subsequent on-site exchange session, attendees further discussed Henlius' innovative product pipeline and future international strategic layout. The event underscored Henlius' breakthrough innovations and international collaborative strength in lung cancer treatment. Through in-depth dialogue with leading global scholars, the company demonstrated its core commitment to innovation-driven and globally-integrated development, as well as its dedication to delivering innovative treatments to patients worldwide. Moving forward, Henlius will continue to work closely with international partners to bring more "Made-in-China" innovative medicines to light the path for lung cancer patients across the globe.
