Shanghai and Suzhou, TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elpiscience Biopharma, Ltd. (Chairman and CEO: Darren Ji, MD, Ph.D., “Elpiscience”) and Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, “Astellas”) today announced a research collaboration and license agreement for novel bi-specific macrophage engagers, ES019 and another program.

上海和苏州，东京——（商业新闻短讯）——Elpiscience Biopharma，Ltd.（董事长兼首席执行官：Darren Ji，MD，Ph.D.，“Elpiscience”）和Astellas Pharma Inc.（TSE:4503，总裁兼首席执行官：Naoki Okamura，“Astellas”）今天宣布了一项针对新型双特异性巨噬细胞参与者ES019和另一个项目的研究合作和许可协议。

The two companies will collaboratively conduct early-stage research for these two programs. Elpiscience will also grant Astellas the right to add up to two additional programs to be included in the collaboration. If Astellas exercises its option, Elpiscience will grant Astellas the exclusive right to further research, develop, manufacture and commercialize the products for each program..

两家公司将合作开展这两个项目的早期研究。Elpiscience还将授予Astellas增加两个额外项目的权利。如果Astellas行使其选择权，Elpiscience将授予Astellas进一步研究、开发、制造和商业化每个项目产品的专有权。。

Elpiscience is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing next-generation immuno-oncology therapies for cancer patients worldwide. Their Bispecific Macrophage Engager Platform (BiME®) is anti-tumor associated antigen (TAA) and anti-signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα) bispecific antibody-based platform to activate Tumor Associated Macrophage (TAM) phagocytosis killing towards specific TAA expressing tumor cells.

Elpiscience是一家私营的临床阶段生物制药公司，致力于为全球癌症患者开发下一代免疫肿瘤学疗法。他们的双特异性巨噬细胞参与者平台（BiME®）是基于抗肿瘤相关抗原（TAA）和抗信号调节蛋白α（SIRPα）双特异性抗体的平台，可激活肿瘤相关巨噬细胞（TAM）吞噬作用，杀死特异性表达TAA的肿瘤细胞。

BiME® shows highly potent phagocytosis due to engagement of the Fc receptor on TAM and the tumor cells via TAA and SIRPα, and blockade of CD47-SIRPα “don’t eat me” signaling1. This platform is utilized for ES019, an anti-PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific antibody..

BiME®由于TAM和肿瘤细胞上的Fc受体通过TAA和SIRPα的参与以及CD47-SIRPα“不吃我”信号的阻断，显示出高度有效的吞噬作用1。该平台用于ES019，一种抗PD-L1/SIRPα双特异性抗体。。

TAMs are the most abundant leukocytes within Tumor Microenvironment (TME) of many cancer types and correlate with poor prognosis and immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance. The programs emerging from the BiME® platform are expected to offer new options for cancer patients who do not respond to existing cancer immunotherapies, by modulating TAM and reprogramming the TME status..

TAM是许多癌症类型的肿瘤微环境（TME）中最丰富的白细胞，与预后不良和免疫检查点抑制剂耐药性相关。BiME®平台上出现的项目有望通过调节TAM和重新编程TME状态，为对现有癌症免疫疗法无反应的癌症患者提供新的选择。。

Elpiscience will receive up to US $37 million, including the upfront payment and license option fees. In addition, Elpiscience will receive research funding from Astellas to advance the programs. After Astellas exercises its option, Elpiscience is eligible to potentially receive more than US $1.7 billion in payments for the achievement of future development, regulatory, and commercial milestones.

Elpiscience将获得高达3700万美元，包括预付款和许可选择费。此外，Elpiscience将获得Astellas的研究资金，以推进这些项目。在Astellas行使其选择权后，Elpiscience有资格获得超过17亿美元的付款，用于实现未来的发展、监管和商业里程碑。

Elpiscience is also eligible to receive single-digit to lower double-digit percent royalty payments on net sales for licensed products per each program..

Elpiscience也有资格获得每个项目许可产品净销售额的一位数至两位数的特许权使用费百分比。。

Darren Ji, MD, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Elpiscience

Darren Ji，医学博士，博士，Elpiscience董事长兼首席执行官

“We are pleased to collaborate with Astellas, a world leader of innovative medicines, on developing game-changing therapies for cancer. BiME® innovated at Elpiscience represents a paradigm shift from the conventional cell engagers dominated by T cells. The therapeutic molecules generated from the BiME® platform have the potential of changing the clinical practice for tumors where tumor-associated macrophages are highly abundant, and no effective therapies are available.

“我们很高兴与创新药物的世界领导者Astellas合作，开发改变游戏规则的癌症治疗方法。在Elpiscience创新的BiME®代表了从以T细胞为主的传统细胞参与者的范式转变。BiME®平台产生的治疗分子有可能改变肿瘤相关肿瘤的临床实践巨噬细胞非常丰富，没有有效的治疗方法。

We look forward to working with Astellas to bring these exciting sciences to the bedside of global patients.”.

我们期待着与Astellas合作，将这些令人兴奋的科学带到全球患者的床边。”。

Adam Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer, Astellas

Astellas首席战略官Adam Pearson

“Astellas has a strong commitment to developing innovative cancer treatments and have positioned Immuno-Oncology as one of the Primary Focuses of our R&D strategy2. Elpiscience has outstanding expertise in developing next generation immunotherapies. We hope this collaboration will bring synergies between the two companies' cutting-edge research and will ultimately lead to the development of new treatments for patients with cancer.”.

“Astellas坚定致力于开发创新的癌症治疗方法，并将免疫肿瘤学定位为我们研发战略的主要重点之一2。Elpiscience在开发下一代免疫疗法方面拥有卓越的专业知识。我们希望这项合作将为两家公司的前沿研究带来协同效应，并最终为癌症患者开发新的治疗方法。”。

1 “don’t eat me” signaling: CD47 is a protein that emits a 'don't eat me' signal. When CD47 on tumor cells bind with SIRPα on macrophages, the macrophages suppress phagocytosis.

1“不吃我”信号：CD47是一种发出“不吃我”信号的蛋白质。当肿瘤细胞上的CD47与巨噬细胞上的SIRPα结合时，巨噬细胞抑制吞噬作用。

2 Astellas’ R&D strategy: Astellas has established a Focus Area Approach for its research and development strategy. For more information, please visit our website at Areas of Interest | Astellas Pharma Inc.

2 Astellas的研发战略：Astellas为其研发战略建立了重点领域方法。有关更多信息，请访问我们的网站：Areas of Interest | Astellas Pharma Inc。

About Elpiscience

关于Elpiscience

Elpiscience is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-changing immuno-oncology therapies for cancer patients worldwide. The company’s innovative approach is focused on targeting tumor microenvironment to identify effective mechanisms to kill cancer. A pipeline of novel molecules has been developed using its proprietary platforms including a powerful Bispecific Macrophage Engager (BiME®) technology that connects and activates macrophages for solid tumor killing without causing cytokine storms.

Elpiscience是一家临床阶段的生物制药公司，致力于为全球癌症患者开发改变生命的免疫肿瘤学疗法。该公司的创新方法专注于针对肿瘤微环境，以确定杀死癌症的有效机制。已经使用其专有平台开发了一系列新型分子，包括强大的双特异性巨噬细胞接合器（BiME®）技术，该技术连接并激活巨噬细胞以杀死实体瘤，而不会引起细胞因子风暴。

For more information, please visit: www.elpiscience.com..

有关更多信息，请访问：www.elpiscience.com。。

About Astellas

关于Astellas

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality.

Astellas Pharma Inc.是一家在全球70多个国家开展业务的制药公司。我们正在推动重点领域方法，该方法旨在通过关注生物学和模式，确定持续开发新药的机会，以解决医疗需求未得到满足的疾病。

Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus to create Rx+® healthcare solutions that combine our expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.

此外，我们还着眼于超越Rx的基础重点，创建Rx+®医疗保健解决方案，将我们的专业知识与外部合作伙伴不同领域的尖端技术相结合。通过这些努力，Astellas站在医疗改革的前沿，将创新科学转化为患者的价值。

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/en..

欲了解更多信息，请访问我们的网站https://www.astellas.com/en..

Cautionary Notes

注意事项

In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management’s current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.

在本新闻稿中，有关当前计划、估计、战略和信念的声明以及其他非历史事实的声明都是关于阿斯特拉斯未来表现的前瞻性声明。这些声明基于管理层目前的假设和信念，并根据目前可获得的信息，涉及已知和未知的风险和不确定性。

A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas’ intellectual property rights by third parties..

许多因素可能导致实际结果与前瞻性声明中讨论的结果存在重大差异。这些因素包括但不限于：（i）与药品市场有关的一般经济条件和法律法规的变化，（ii）货币汇率波动，（iii）新产品推出的延迟，（iv）阿斯特拉斯无法有效地营销现有产品和新产品，（v）Astellas无法在竞争激烈的市场上继续有效地研究和开发客户接受的产品，以及（vi）第三方侵犯了Astellas的知识产权。。

Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.

本新闻稿中包含的有关药品（包括目前正在开发的产品）的信息无意构成广告或医疗建议。