Sorrento Announces Positive Phase II Results of PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibitor IMC-001 Presented at Asian Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

• IMC-001, a PD-L1 monoclonal antibody selected from Sorrento’s G-MAB library, demonstrated impressive therapeutic effects in patients with heavily treated NK/T-cell lymphoma with a 60% objective response rate
• Achieved 100% complete remission in patients with an objective response rate
• Long-term safety and durable response are demonstrated in patients who continued on treatment for over a year

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE, “Sorrento”) is pleased to announce the results of a Phase II NK/T-cell lymphoma study of IMC-001, a PD-L1 monoclonal antibody licensed to ImmuneOncia Therapeutics, LLC (“ImmuneOncia”) (Seongnam, South Korea). ImmuneOncia is a biotechnology company specializing in immuno-oncology drug development, jointly established by Yuhan Corporation of Korea and Sorrento. In addition to IMC-001, ImmuneOncia has a wide range of new products in the pipeline, such as IMC-002, a CD47 antibody, and IMC-201, a bispecific antibody.

The Phase II NK/T-cell lymphoma study was selected for an oral presentation at the Asian Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO Asia 2022) in Singapore on December 4th, 2022. The clinical data demonstrated that in patients with heavily treated NK/T-cell lymphoma, 6 of 10 evaluable patients (60%) not only achieved an objective response, but all 6 patients with an objective response also achieved a complete remission with IMC-001. Additionally, 4 of these 6 patients stayed on treatment for over a year, which provides encouraging indication of long-term IMC-001 treatment safety and durable efficacy.

NK/T-cell lymphoma is a rare cancer that is most prevalent in Asian countries, including China and Korea, and is typically treated with a regimen of radiation and chemotherapy. NK/T-cell lymphoma has a high recurrence rate of 75% within two years. Due to the absence of standard-of-care treatment for relapsed/refractory cases, NK/T lymphoma represents a high unmet medical need and significant market opportunity. To date, no single immuno-oncology drug has obtained approval in this indication.

Professor Won Seog Kim of Samsung Medical Center, the presenter and Principal Investigator of the IMC-001 study, commented, “The complete remission and response rate of 60% of IMC-001 significantly outperformed currently available drugs for the treatment, and very rare adverse events of grade 3 or higher also limit concerns over the side effects, making it a leader among PD-L1 drugs. We expect these results to satisfy the criteria for approval.”

Heung Tae Kim, Chief Executive Officer of ImmuneOncia said, “This achievement sets a new standard for the second-line treatment of NK/T-cell lymphoma, which has high unmet needs. ImmuneOncia is preparing additional clinical trials to expand its indications in solid cancer.”

Henry Ji, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Sorrento commented, “We expect to leverage these data to create momentum to secure additional partnership and co-development opportunities for IMC-001 in regions with a high incidence of NK/T-cell lymphoma, such as China, as well as in other indications.”

IMC-001 is a PD-L1 antibody, a fully human immune checkpoint inhibitor, that serves as the basis of the current immuno-oncology market. This antibody activates the anticancer functions of T cells by strongly inhibiting the binding between PD-1 expressed on T cells and PD-L1 expressed on the surface of cancer cells. Moreover, it can mediate ADCC (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity) against tumor cells, as it maintains the Fc effector function using human IgG1.

About Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. 

Sorrento is a clinical and commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing new therapies to treat cancer, pain (non-opioid treatments), autoimmune disease and COVID-19. Sorrento’s multimodal, multipronged approach to fighting cancer is made possible by its extensive immuno-oncology platforms, including key assets such as next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (“TKIs”), fully human antibodies (“G-MAB™ library”), immuno-cellular therapies (“DAR-T™”), antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”), and oncolytic virus (“Seprehvec™”). Sorrento is also developing potential antiviral therapies and vaccines against coronaviruses, including STI-1558, COVISHIELD™ and COVIDROPS™, COVI-MSC™; and diagnostic test solutions, including COVIMARK™.

Sorrento’s commitment to life-enhancing therapies for patients is also demonstrated by our effort to advance a TRPV1 agonist, non-opioid pain management small molecule, resiniferatoxin (“RTX”), and SP-102 (10 mg, dexamethasone sodium phosphate viscous gel) (SEMDEXA™), a novel, viscous gel formulation of a widely used corticosteroid for epidural injections to treat lumbosacral radicular pain, or sciatica, and to commercialize ZTlido® (lidocaine topical system) 1.8% for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). RTX has been cleared for a Phase II trial for intractable pain associated with cancer and a Phase II trial in osteoarthritis patients. Positive final results from the Phase III Pivotal Trial C.L.E.A.R. Program for SEMDEXA™, its novel, non-opioid product for the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain (sciatica), were announced in March 2022. ZTlido® was approved by the FDA on February 28, 2018.

For more information visit www.sorrentotherapeutics.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any statements made for and during any presentation or meeting contain forward-looking statements related to Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the development of and prospects of IMC-001 (PD-L1 antibody); the potential for IMC-001 to become a leader among PD-L1 drugs; the expectation of Phase II results to satisfy criteria for approval; potential side effects, tolerability, long-term toxicity, safety and durability of response of IMC-001; ImmuneOncia’s plans for additional clinical trials and plans for any future partnership and co-development opportunities for IMC-001, including in other regions or indications. Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in our forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to: risks related to Sorrento’s technologies and prospects, including, but not limited to risks related to safety and efficacy of IMC-001 and seeking regulatory approval for IMC-001; clinical development risks, including risks in the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; risks of difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals; risks that clinical study results may not meet any or all endpoints of a clinical study and that any data generated from such studies may not support a regulatory submission or approval; risks that prior test, study and trial results, including those for IMC-001 and any topline or preliminary results, may not be replicated in continuing or future studies and trials; risks of manufacturing and supplying drug product; risks related to leveraging the expertise of its employees, subsidiaries, affiliates and partners to assist Sorrento in the execution of its product candidates’ strategies; risks related to the global impact of COVID-19; and other risks that are described in Sorrento’s most recent periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Sorrento’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors set forth in those filings. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release except as required by law.

Media and Investor Relations
Contact: Brian Cooley
Email: mediarelations@sorrentotherapeutics.com

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