Zion Pharma Announces Global Agreement with Roche to Develop and Commercialize a Blood Brain Barrier Penetrant Oral HER2 Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
9.5.2023 09:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Zion Pharma Limited, a Chinese biotechnology company focused on the development of brain-penetrable compounds, today announced that Roche has acquired the global rights to Zion’s lead program, ZN-A-1041. ZN-A-1041 is an orally administered selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2). ZN-A-1041 was designed to be blood-brain-barrier-penetrant, and has the potential to treat or prevent the onset of brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Up to 50% of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer will develop brain metastasis during the course of the disease.
"Our agreement with Roche is the culmination of a tremendous team effort to deliver a potentially best-in-class therapy for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, particularly in the field of brain metastasis by virtue of the high blood-brain barrier permeability of this asset,” stated Zack Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Zion Pharma Limited. “Within five years, we have gone from company formation to first-in-human, to finding a partner in Roche, who has the resources and expertise to bring ZN-A-1041 to patients with few other therapeutic options,” Dr. Cheng continued.
Dr. Ding Zhou, Ph.D., CSO and Co-Founder of Zion Pharma Limited added, “We are pleased that Roche recognizes the potential of our asset for advancing the standard of care with regards to brain penetrable compounds in HER2-positive breast cancer.”
“We are excited to enter this partnership with Zion to further develop this innovative treatment option for people with HER2-positive breast cancer. This partnership builds on Roche’s legacy and expertise in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer and supports our pursuit of advancing science by combining external innovation with our in-house capabilities to address areas of high unmet patient needs,” said James Sabry, Global Head of Pharma Partnering.
After a transition period, Roche will be responsible for the further development, manufacturing, and commercialization of ZN-A-1041 globally. Zion will receive up to $70 million USD in upfront and near-term milestone payments pending achievement of certain milestone events. Zion will also be eligible for up to $610 million USD in additional payments following achievement of certain development, regulatory, and sales-based milestone events by ZN-A-1041, as well as tiered royalties on sales.
About ZN-A-1041
ZN-A-1041 is an orally administered selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2). ZN-A-1041 was designed to be blood-brain-barrier-penetrant. The ongoing Phase 1 trial is being conducted at multiple sites in the U.S. and China. Additional details will be presented at the poster sessions during the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in June 2023.
About Zion Pharma Limited
Zion Pharma is a private, clinical stage biotech company focused on the development of novel, small molecule, anti-tumoral agents. Founded in 2018, the company’s research headquarters are in Suzhou with additional research operations in Shanghai. The company is applying an innovative drug discovery approach, capitalizing on its DMPK expertise, to develop a pipeline of proprietary first-in-class/best-in-class compounds focused on therapeutic targets which drive tumor inhibition, including ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), Kirsten RAt Sarcoma (KRAS G12D) and SMARCA2 (BRM). Additional information about Zion Pharma is available at www.zionpharma.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230508005468/en/
Contact information
For media and partnership inquiries:
J. Michael French
SVP, Corporate Development
michael.french@zionpharma.com
+1.703.338.1972
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Boomi and Guru Partner to Deliver AI-Powered Enterprise Knowledge Enriched by Real-Time Data Activation14.5.2026 17:30:00 EEST | Press release
Boomi, the data activation company for AI, and Guru, the AI-powered enterprise knowledge platform, today announced a technology partnership to help organizations unlock the full value of their enterprise data for AI-driven decision-making. Unveiled at Boomi World 2026, the partnership makes Guru a launch partner for Boomi Connect, Boomi’s new managed connector service, and integrates Guru’s knowledge agents with Agentstudio and the Boomi MCP Registry to deliver richer, more accurate, and more actionable insights to knowledge workers and AI agents alike. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514440755/en/ Guru was selected as a Boomi Connect launch partner because its AI-powered knowledge platform represents one of the highest-value consumption patterns for managed enterprise connectivity. Knowledge agents are only as effective as the data they can access, and Guru’s ability to synthesize insights across enterpris
IQM and Real Asset Acquisition Corp. Announce Public Filing of Form F-4 Registration Statement with the SEC14.5.2026 16:55:00 EEST | Press release
IQM Finland Oy, a global leader in full-stack superconducting quantum computers (“IQM”, “IQM Quantum Computers” or the “Company”), and Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ), a special purpose acquisition company (“RAAQ”), announced today the public filing of a registration statement on Form F-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the proposed Business Combination Agreement announced February 23, 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514989293/en/ IQM Radiance quantum computer Jan Goetz, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, IQM, said: “This filing is a milestone we have worked hard to reach, and it signals our readiness to operate at a new level. Public markets will give IQM the platform and capital to accelerate everything we are building as we work towards delivering fault-toleranc
MOBX to Acquire U.S. Defense Rare Earth, Critical Minerals Company14.5.2026 16:40:00 EEST | Press release
Mobix Labs (Nasdaq: MOBX) today announced a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire Special Project Delivery LLC ("SPD"), a U.S. company building sovereign supply chains for rare earth elements, critical minerals, and energy storage. The proposed acquisition would extend Mobix Labs' national security work — already supplying U.S. and allied fighter jets, missiles, submarines, and satellites — directly into one of the world's most strategically important industrial sectors. MOBX is moving directly into the supply chain powering modern defense, aerospace, and AI infrastructure. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Special Project Delivery LLC ("SPD"), which are subject to risks and uncertainties described in Mobix Labs' SEC filings and similar provisions under applicable non-U.S. securities laws. The Letter of Intent is non-binding, and there can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be executed
Flick Raises $6M Seed Round to Redefine How AI Films Are Created14.5.2026 16:19:00 EEST | Press release
Flick (flick.art), an AI-native filmmaking platform founded by award-winning filmmaker Zoey Zhang and founding Instagram engineer Ray Wang, today announced it has raised $6 million in a seed round from True Ventures, GV (Google Ventures), Y Combinator, Lightspeed, Formosa Capital, Pioneer Fund, Olive Tree Capital, and N1 in addition to angel investors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514408256/en/ Flick was built around a simple belief: AI should enhance filmmaking, not replace it. Instead of another one-click video generator, Flick gives filmmakers cinematic control through an AI-native creative workflow designed for storytelling, iteration, and artistic direction. Flick will use the seed funding to accelerate product development, expand its core creative tooling for cinematic control, and grow the company’s community of filmmakers. The team is also launching Flick Filmmaker Residency,debuting with 10+ sho
PIF Named as Official Tournament Supporter of FIFA World Cup 2026™14.5.2026 16:08:00 EEST | Press release
PIF and FIFA has announced PIF as an Official Tournament Supporter in North America and Asia of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to expanding the growth of football at every level, from the grassroots to elite competition, as well as enabling greater participation in sport by unlocking new opportunities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514974404/en/ 14 May, 2026: Front row (L-R), Romy Gai, Chief Business Officer, FIFA and Kevin Foster, Managing Director and Head of Corporate Affairs, PIF, back row (L-R), H.R.H Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud, Vice Chairman, Savvy Games Group, Gianni Infantino, President, FIFA, H.E. Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, Governor, PIF and Muhannad AlDawood, Chief Strategy Officer, Qiddiya Investment Company witnessed the signing of the partnership of PIF as Official Tournament Supporter of FIFA World Cup 2026™, incorporating PIF companies
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom