HK Stock Market Move | LEADS BIOLABS-B (09887) rose over 5% in early trading as Vili Xin's Phase II clinical trial for frontline treatment of ESCC enters the expansion stage.

LEADS BIOLABS-B (09887) rose more than 5% in early trading, and as of the time of this report, has increased by 4.42%, priced at HKD 72.1, with a trading volume of HKD 33.5464 million. In terms of news, Weili Zhibo announced that its self-developed drug, Velesimab (an anti-PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody, LBL-024), has completed the safety lead-in phase of its Phase II clinical trial for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This advancement is based on observed positive efficacy signals, as well as good safety and tolerability, and the study has successfully entered the expansion phase. This research is led by Professor Shen Lin from Beijing Cancer Hospital. During the safety lead-in phase, positive efficacy signals were observed in ESCC patients treated with Velesimab in combination with chemotherapy, demonstrating overall good safety and tolerability. Based on a comprehensive evaluation by the sponsor and researchers, the study has progressed to the combination treatment expansion phase. This expansion phase will utilize a randomized controlled design to conduct a head-to-head comparison of the efficacy and safety of Velesimab combined with chemotherapy versus Toripalimab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatments for ESCC, aiming to further enhance the clinical benefits of the existing standard therapies.