China-based biotechnology company Asieris Pharmaceuticals revealed on Wednesday that the first patient has been enrolled and administered in its global, multi-centered, Phase III clinical trial of its photodynamic drug-device combination product, APL-1702 (Cevira).

APL-1702 is being developed for the non-surgical treatment of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), a pre-cancerous condition caused by a persistent HPV infection.

According to the company, there are approximately 10 million cases of high-grade disease and over 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide annually. Currently, treatment options include surgical excisions, primarily LEEP/LLETZ and CKC. However, these surgical treatment methods may cause risks including bleeding, infection, and/or damage to the cervix.

Dr John Zhuang, chief operating officer at Asieris and APL-1702's project leader, commented: "APL-1702 provides a novel treatment option for HSIL patients, minimizing pain and side effects associated with surgical approaches. We firmly believe it is a breakthrough therapy with potential to be the first non-surgical treatment agnostic of HVP sub-type for cervical pre-cancerous lesions in the world," commented . "Asieris will continue to focus on genitourinary tumors and related diseases, fulfill significant unmet medical needs, thereby bringing substantial relief to the patients."