Akeso, Inc. (“Akeso” or the “Company”, stock code: 9926.HK) is pleased to announce today that, Akeso is awarded as "Most Honored Company" in the "2021 All-Asia Executive Team" survey published by Institutional Investor, and is ranked top 3 in all five categories in the Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Sector.
Since its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in April 2020, this is the first time Akeso was included in the survey, and yet it has already been honored by Institutional Investor with various awards. This once again shows that the capital market's high recognition of Akeso, especially in terms of the outstanding performance of company's management team, investor relations management and dedication to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.
Akeso's overall ranking in the Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Sector:
As one of the world's most influential financial magazines, Institutional Investor is noted in the industry for its high-standard quality survey. Highly recognized by overseas buy-side and sell-side institutions, the survey ranking results are entirely voted by financial professionals and considered the bellwether for global investment in the industry. The survey evaluation factors include effective communication with senior executives, well-informed IR team, proper and timely information disclosure, prompt and thorough response to enquiries, providing in-depth report with ESG insights, etc. This year 1,438 companies from 18 industries were in the contest for the five nomination categories in the "2021 All-Asia Executive Team" survey. Votes were conducted by 3,503 buy-side investors and 581 sell-side analysts.
More information on this year’s "2021 All-Asia Executive Team" survey by Institutional Investor
www.institutionalinvestor.com/research/11071/The-All-Asia-Executive-Team
Akeso is dedicated to practicing global-standard corporate governance and maintains a solid growth in capital market. As one of the best-performing HKSE 18A biotech companies, in 2020 Akeso was included in Hang Seng Index Components like HSCI and HSHKBI; later the same year, the Company was included simultaneously in the list of Southbound Stock Connect under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Southbound Stock Connect under the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect by the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. In May 2021, the Company was further included as a constituent stock of the MSCI China Index.
Akeso established an innovative biopharmaceutical platform and system with years of efforts, its innovative drug research and development is entering "harvest time". The Company has achieved breakthroughs in novel drug research and development, company operation and commercial cooperation. Akeso’s 2020 annual results show that in total over 40 clinical trials are efficiently in progress world-wide, among which 9 clinical trials are at registrational or phase III stage and 4 registrational trials have reached key endpoints. The Company expects to submit the new drug application for the globally first-in-class PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody drug Cadonilimab (AK104) for treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer in 2021. Cadonilimab is expected to become the first PD-1 based bispecific antibody novel drug worldwide and to lead the immuno-oncology era 2.0. In the meantime, new drug applications for Penpulimab (PD-1, AK105), which Akeso co-developed with Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited (stock code: 1177. HK), for third-line treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer and for first-line treatment of squamous non-small cell lung cancer will also be submitted in 2021.
As the core innovative drug pipelines are entering commercial stage, industrial and commercial layout has been put on the agenda as Akeso's important strategic measures to stay ahead. The Company is already establishing an experienced and capable commercialization team to accelerate the commercialization of bispecific antibody novel drug Cadonilimab, which is expected to obtain NDA soon.
Meanwhile the construction of manufacturing facilities in accordance with the requirements of the FDA, EMA and NMPA are efficiently in progress with a total planned production capacity of 83,500 L. The phase 1 project of Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Base manufacturing facilities has completed and gone into operation in March 2021, adding up to 20,000 L production capacity to the Company. The construction of technology center in Kangfang Bay of Cuiheng New District in Zhongshan has commenced, with a planned phase 1 production capacity of 40,000 L. After these industrialized manufacturing facilities fully put into operation, Akeso will become China's leading biopharmaceutical company in terms of production capacity.
About Akeso, Inc.
Akeso, Inc. (stock code: 9926.HK) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of new innovative antibody drugs that are affordable to patients worldwide. Since the Company's establishment, the Company has established an end-to-end comprehensive drug development platform (ACE Platform) and system, encompassing fully integrated drug discovery and development functions, including target validation, antibody drug discovery and development, CMC production process development, and GMP compliant scale production. The Company has also successfully developed a bi-specific antibody drug development technology (Tetrabody technology). The Company currently has a pipeline of over 20 innovative drugs for the treatment of major diseases like tumors, autoimmune diseases, inflammation and metabolism diseases, 13 of which have entered clinical stage, including two first-in-class bi-specific antibody drugs (PD-1/CTLA-4 and PD-1/VEGF). The Company's vision is to become a global leading biopharmaceutical company through research and development ("R&D") of high efficacy and breakthrough new drugs that are first-in-class and best-in-class therapies. Actively practicing corporate social responsibility, Akeso is dedicated to develop next-generation affordable quality antibody drug for patients around the world, continues to provide better solutions for therapeutic treatments and health of all human beings.
