SUZHOU – November 03, 2026 -- CStone Pharmaceuticals (HKEX: 2616) will lead Phase I development of Kimia Therapeutics' potential first-in-class DNA damage response (DDR) cancer drug in mainland China and Australia, while Kimia reimburses the applicable clinical development costs.
CStone gains milestone and royalty rights without funding the trials
Under the clinical collaboration agreement, CStone is eligible for milestone payments and royalties on global net sales of the asset during the applicable royalty term. Kimia will supply the clinical drug, scientific guidance and product-related regulatory oversight. The announcement did not disclose payment amounts or royalty rates.
The asset targets the DDR pathway, which solid tumor cells rely on to survive.
Phase I study will enroll biomarker-selected patients in dose escalation and expansion
The planned trial combines dose-escalation and expansion components in biomarker-selected patient populations. It is designed as an initial proof of concept to define safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and early activity. Kimia said its lead oncology program enters clinical development in the first quarter of 2027.
Kimia brings an AI-driven discovery platform backed by The Column Group
Berkeley, California-based Kimia discovered the asset with its ATLAS platform, which combines nanogram-scale parallel synthesis, direct-to-biology screening and machine learning. The platform works across reaction-defined chemical spaces of hundreds of millions of molecules and screens thousands of compounds per cycle. Kimia is a portfolio company of life sciences investment firm The Column Group (TCG).
CStone cites four launched drugs and 21 approvals as its development credentials
CStone points to four approved innovative drugs and 21 new drug application approvals across nine indications. Its pipeline holds 13 innovative candidates, including antibody-drug conjugates and mono- and multi-specific antibodies.
The agreement also sets a framework that can extend to further assets over time. CEO Dr. Jason Yang said it could support additional programs with Kimia and other TCG portfolio companies, calling it a "repeatable model" for broadening CStone's participation in global innovation.