Zion Pharma Announces Global Agreement with Roche to Develop and Commercialize a Blood Brain Barrier Penetrant Oral HER2 Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
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
Europe’s Tech Services Market Hits New High in Q4, on Strong AI, Cloud, Managed Services Demand: ISG Index™19.1.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Demand for technology services in Europe reached a new high in the fourth quarter as the region turned in its best quarterly performance of the year to close out 2025, according to the latest state-of-the-industry report from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. The EMEA ISG Index™, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of US $5 million or more, shows fourth-quarter ACV for the combined market (both managed services and cloud-based as-a-service) advanced 27 percent, to a record US $10.9 billion. It was the region’s eighth consecutive quarter of combined market growth, averaging 16 percent in that span. “Europe saved its best for last, with accelerating, AI-fueled demand for cloud services, coupled with renewed momentum in managed services, leading the region to its strongest quarterly performance of 2025,” said Anthony Drake, president, ISG EMEA. “We also saw surging demand
Celonis Champions “Free the Process” Movement at WEF Davos 202619.1.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Celonis, a global leader in Process Intelligence - a key enabler of enterprise AI, today announced its participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026. Under the event’s theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” Celonis leaders — including Co-founder and Co-CEO Bastian Nominacher and President Carsten Thoma — will outline what’s needed to make the critical shift from AI experimentation to responsible AI implementation and meaningful RoAI (Return on AI Investment). In an AI-driven world, processes are the engine of enterprise value, and process intelligence is the essential foundation for AI, giving it the cross-system context needed to drive real growth. At WEF 2026, Celonis will outline how an open ecosystem enables organizations to "Free the Process" from rigid systems and vendor-locked silos, so that teams can collaborate, companies and governments can transform their processes, and AI can finally deliver on its true potential. Celonis contributes to the global dialogue by p
Posiflex to Showcase AI-Powered Retail Innovation at EuroShop 202619.1.2026 10:57:00 EET | Press release
Posiflex Technology, Inc., a global leader in Point of Sale (POS) systems and Online-to-Offline (O2O) solutions, will present its latest portfolio of AI-powered retail innovations at EuroShop 2026, taking place from February 22 to 26, 2026 at Messe Düsseldorf, Germany. Celebrating the 60th edition of the world’s leading retail trade fair, Posiflex will demonstrate how AI-enabled technologies and scenario-driven system design can address the evolving demands of modern retail environments, spanning self-checkout, AI recognition, contactless transactions, kitchen operations, and next-generation self-service. Visitors are invited to explore these solutions at Hall 6, Booth C42, and discover how Posiflex supports retailers in building agile, future-ready business models. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260118544299/en/ Posiflex presents end-to-end solutions that redefine the modern retail journey AI-Powered Smart S
Alta Semper Signs Definitive Agreements to Acquire a Majority Stake in Nature’s Rule, a MENA-Focused Leader in Dietary Supplements and Sports Nutrition19.1.2026 10:13:00 EET | Press release
Alta Semper, a London-based private equity firm focused on healthcare and consumer investments across growth markets, today announced that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire a majority stake in Nature’s Rule, a leading sports nutrition and dietary supplements company headquartered in the UAE, with an established manufacturing presence in Egypt. The acquisition is a majority investment in Prowell Holding, the parent company of Nature’s Rule, the operator of the largest fully dedicated sports nutrition and dietary supplements manufacturing facility in MENA. The company’s infrastructure and in-house R&D capabilities support a portfolio of private-label clients and proprietary brands, including Redrex, its flagship, market-leading sports nutrition brand developed in collaboration with global bodybuilding icon Mamdouh Elssbiay (“Big Ramy”). The founders will retain a significant stake and continue to lead the business. The partnership will execute a focused value-creation plan t
The UK Chooses Bridge Over Troubled Water as the Nation’s Favourite Song of Hope in Solidarity With Refugees19.1.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water has been votedas the UK’s number one #HopeHit ― as part of UK for UNHCR’s ‘Hope on Repeat’ campaign, raising awareness of the hardships facing refugees across the globe this winter. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119165712/en/ Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water voted the UK's number one #HopeHit With 10% of the public vote, Bridge Over Troubled Water emerged as the UK’s most popular #HopeHit. Since November, the UN Refugee Agency’s national charity partner has invited people to nominate their #HopeHits - the tunes that connect us and warm our hearts as the weather gets cold. The top hit is announced today, Blue Monday, to help people get through the most depressing day of the year. The 1970 chart topper held off stiff competition from Stand By Me by Ben E King with 5.7% of the vote and Imagine by John Lennon with 5.3%. Hope on Repeat in support o
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