Taiwan-headquartered GNT Biotech & Medicals Co Ltd (GNTbm, TPEx Emerging: 7427) has awarded Taiwan sales and marketing rights for anticancer drug Chidamide to pharmaceutical distribution company, Taiwan Specialty Pharma Corp, it was reported yesterday.

The sales and marketing rights are awarded for two indications; hormone receptor-positive, HER-2 negative late stage breast cancer in post-menopausal patients; and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. The licensing agreement includes upfront and milestone payments of up to NTD30m with royalties from sales to be awarded separately.

The company also announced that it had already started its Phase III clinical trial for Chidamide when administered together with exemestane (Aromasin), an aromatase inhibitor, for the treatment of late stage breast cancer after receiving approval in 2017 for the trial by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA). The trial in six medical centers in Taiwan is being conducted in collaboration with Chipscreen Biosciences Ltd, of Shenzhen, China, using the same clinical trial protocol as its Phase III trial for the same drug combination in China.