On December 12, 2025 BeyondSpring Inc. (NASDAQ: BYSI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class immune-modulating cancer therapies, reported results from the Asian subset (n=488) of its global Phase 3 DUBLIN-3 trial evaluating Plinabulin plus docetaxel compared to docetaxel alone in second- or third-line EGFR wild-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dublin-3’s global intent-to-treat (ITT) patient data was published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine in 2024. These new findings were presented by Dr. Baohui Han of Shanghai Chest Hospital at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Asia Congress 2025.

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In this large Asian intent-to-treat cohort, Plinabulin + docetaxel (DP, n=243) achieved a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to docetaxel (D, n=245): DP 10.8 months vs. D 8.8 months, HR 0.81, p=0.0426.

In the mechanism-based non-squamous subgroup, the hazard ratio was 0.69 with a median OS benefit of 3 months (p=0.0064), highlighting enhanced benefit in patients whose disease biology aligns with Plinabulin’s immune-modulating and tumor vasculature-targeting mechanisms.
The combination also doubled 2-year and 3-year survival rates, reflecting durable benefit consistent with Plinabulin’s first-in-class dendritic-cell maturation mechanism.

Plinabulin demonstrated a marked reduction in docetaxel-induced grade 4 neutropenia (DP: 3.9% vs. D 26.5%, p<0.0001), while maintaining a favorable tolerability profile. This safety improvement supports better treatment exposure, an important driver of chemotherapy benefit.

"These data from nearly 500 Asian patients further strengthen the robust global evidence supporting Plinabulin’s potential to become a new standard of care for EGFR wild-type NSCLC," said Dr. Lan Huang, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of BeyondSpring.

"The consistent survival benefit, particularly in the mechanism-aligned non-squamous population, together with the marked reduction in severe neutropenia, reflects Plinabulin’s first-in-class immune-modulating mechanism and its ability to improve chemotherapy tolerability. These results reinforce our confidence as we advance Plinabulin into a global Phase 3 confirmatory study."

About Plinabulin

Plinabulin is a first-in-class, brain-penetrating, dendritic-cell maturation small molecule. It has been used in over 700 cancer patients, with good tolerability and showed durable anti-cancer benefit across multiple clinical studies. As a reversible binder at a distinct tubulin pocket, plinabulin does not change tubulin dynamics or antagonize tubulin stabilizing agents, such as docetaxel, which contributes to its differentiated activity and tolerability compared to other tubulin binders. In addition, plinabulin significantly reduces chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and could thereby increase docetaxel tolerability.

About DUBLIN-3 Study (103 Study)
DUBLIN-3 (n=559, NCT02504489) was a multicenter, single-blinded (patient) and randomized, phase 3 trial in 58 medical centers (US, China, and Australia). Only patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC who had progressed after first-line platinum-based therapy were enrolled. Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive docetaxel (75 mg/m2) on Day 1 and either plinabulin (30 mg/m2) or placebo on Days 1 and 8 in 21-day cycles until progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal, or death. Treated patients were included in the safety analysis and ITT population in the primary efficacy analyses. The primary endpoint for the study was OS, and secondary endpoints were PFS, ORR, Duration of Response (DoR), Grade 4 neutropenia and Quality of Life. The study was published in Lancet Resp Med 12:775, 2024.

(Press release, BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, DEC 12, 2025, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beyondspring-announces-esmo-asia-presentation-on-plinabulin-docetaxel-improving-survival-in-large-phase-3-dublin-3-asian-subset-for-egfr-wt-nsclc-compared-to-docetaxel-strengthening-the-case-for-a [SID1234661418])