2025 ASCO Abstracts Officially Released! Multiple Highlights from Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies

On May 23rd, the routine abstracts for the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting were officially published, marking another grand event for the global oncology community. As the world's largest and most academically prestigious oncology conference, ASCO annually serves as a "weather vane" for pharmaceutical companies to showcase their R&D strength and for clinicians to track cutting-edge progress. This year, Chinese pharmaceutical companies stood out with remarkable performances. From optimizing traditional targets to breakthroughs in novel mechanisms, from monotherapy to combination regimens, domestic innovative achievements blossomed across multiple cancer types.

Lung Cancer Field

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for over 80%. Among NSCLC, squamous NSCLC (sq-NSCLC) remains a clinical challenge due to low mutation rates in targets and limited treatment options.

• Bemostumab Combined with Anlotinib Study (Abstract #8514): One of the most watched domestic studies at this year’s ASCO is Sino Biopharma’s phase III head-to-head trial comparing Bemostumab plus Anlotinib against the "blockbuster" Pembrolizumab (Keytruda). This is the world’s first positive phase III study for PD-1 antibody combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment in sq-NSCLC. The experimental group’s median progression-free survival (mPFS) reached 10.12 months, significantly longer than the control group’s 7.79 months, with a 36% reduction in risk of disease progression. The objective response rate (ORR) also improved to 71.9%. If these data are confirmed, it will be the first time a domestic PD-1 inhibitor outperforms Keytruda in a pivotal phase III study. Bemostumab (a PD-L1 inhibitor) blocks immune evasion, while Anlotinib inhibits tumor angiogenesis. Their synergy may overcome tumor microenvironment suppression and improve efficacy. The combination’s marketing application has been accepted by China’s National Medical Products Administration, potentially becoming a new option for sq-NSCLC patients.
• HUTCHMED’s Savolitinib Combined with Osimertinib Study (Abstract #LBA8505): HUTCHMED will present results from the phase III SACHI study on Savolitinib combined with Osimertinib for EGFR-mutated, MET-amplified advanced NSCLC at ASCO 2025. The study shows that this combination significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS), providing a new treatment choice for MET-amplified NSCLC patients.
  Savolitinib is a potent, highly selective oral MET inhibitor that blocks abnormal activation of the MET receptor, thereby halting tumor cell growth and survival signals. Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) mainly used for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. The combination targets both EGFR and MET, exerting synergistic anti-tumor effects and effectively overcoming EGFR-TKI resistance.
• Kelun-Biotech’s Sacituzumab Govitecan Study (Abstract #8512): Kelun-Biotech’s TROP2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Sacituzumab Govitecan (sac-TMT) also showed positive results in the OptiTROP-Lung03 randomized trial for previously treated advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Data will be presented in an oral report at ASCO.
  Sacituzumab Govitecan is an ADC targeting TROP2, linking chemotherapy drugs to a monoclonal antibody against TROP2, allowing selective delivery of chemo drugs to tumor cells expressing TROP2, thus exerting precise anti-tumor effects.

Gastric Cancer Field

• Vedicitumab Combination Therapy for Gastric Cancer (Abstract #LBA4012): A team led by Lin Shen from Peking University Cancer Hospital focused on Vedicitumab (a HER2 ADC) combined with toripalimab plus chemotherapy/trastuzumab as first-line treatment for HER2-expressing gastric cancer. Vedicitumab, a core product of RemeGen, was previously approved for third-line gastric cancer. The new first-line data may further expand its indications, offering new options for HER2-expressing gastric cancer patients.
  Results indicate significant anti-tumor activity and good safety in first-line treatment, potentially changing the current treatment landscape for HER2-positive gastric cancer.

Hematologic Tumors Field

• Lisaftoclax Combined with Azacitidine Study (Abstract #7504): Ascentage Pharma’s Bcl-2 selective inhibitor Lisaftoclax (APG-2575) combined with azacitidine was studied in newly diagnosed or venetoclax-resistant myeloid malignancies. Lisaftoclax is a novel oral selective Bcl-2 inhibitor; Bcl-2 family proteins are key regulators of apoptosis. By inhibiting Bcl-2, Lisaftoclax restores tumor cell apoptosis and exerts anti-tumor effects. Azacitidine is a common demethylating agent that inhibits tumor growth via multiple mechanisms. The combination produces synergistic anti-tumor effects.
  The phase Ib/II oral presentation included 97 patients enrolled as of January 6, 2025. In newly diagnosed MDS/CMML patients, ORR reached 64%, with CR 29% and mCR 36%. In relapsed/refractory AML patients previously treated with venetoclax, ORR was 39% and 50%, CR rates were 28% and 37.5%, respectively. In venetoclax-resistant AML/MPAL and HR-MDS patients, ORR was 17% and 50%, respectively. The regimen was well tolerated with no new safety signals. This provides new options for myeloid malignancies, especially venetoclax-resistant cases, filling clinical gaps.
  Lisaftoclax’s NDA has been accepted by the National Medical Products Administration and recommended for priority review, aiming to become the world’s second approved Bcl-2 inhibitor.

Thyroid Cancer Field

• KL590586 Study (Abstract #6009): Kelun-Biotech’s next-generation selective RET inhibitor KL590586 (A400) will reveal clinical data targeting medullary thyroid cancer. This drug inhibits RET fusions and mutations, filling a domestic gap for this target.

This year at ASCO, Chinese pharmaceutical companies not only increased their presence in quantity but more importantly, significantly improved in quality. From optimizing traditional targets to breakthroughs in novel mechanisms, from monotherapy to combination regimens, Chinese companies demonstrated strong innovation and clinical research capabilities across multiple cancer types. These achievements offer new options and hope for global cancer treatment and mark an expanding influence of Chinese pharma in the global oncology field. Looking forward, it is expected that Chinese innovative drugs will launch more "First-in-class" and "Best-in-class" products on the global stage, further advancing global cancer therapy.