On May 21, 2026 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) and Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent", HKEX:1801) reported that the New Drug Application (NDA) for the combination of ELUNATE (fruquintinib) and TYVYT (sintilimab injection) has been granted approval by the China National Medical Products Administration ("NMPA") for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have failed prior vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKI) therapy and have not received programmed death receptor-1 ("PD-1") or programmed death-ligand 1 ("PD-L1") inhibitor therapy in the first-line setting.
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The approval is supported by data from FRUSICA-2, a randomized, open-label, active-controlled registration study evaluating the efficacy and safety of fruquintinib in combination with sintilimab versus axitinib or everolimus monotherapy for the second-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The study met its primary endpoint of progression free survival ("PFS") as assessed by blinded independent central review ("BICR").
"The rapid advancements in targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and their combination regimens have led to a significant evolution in the treatment landscape for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Optimizing the selection of treatment for individual patients is a key focus of clinical interest," said Professor Dingwei Ye of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and co-lead Principal Investigator of the FRUSICA-2 study. "The approval of the fruquintinib and sintilimab combination underscores its potential to address the pressing medical needs of patients with this challenging disease."
"The FRUSICA-2 trial results provided compelling evidence that the fruquintinib and sintilimab combination could play a meaningful role in shaping second-line treatment strategies for advanced renal cell carcinoma," said Professor Zhisong He of Peking University First Hospital and co-lead Principal Investigator of the FRUSICA-2 study. "We are optimistic about the clinical implications of this approval as we strive to provide effective treatment options for patients."
"This approval reaffirms our deep commitment to delivering innovative therapies to patients facing advanced renal cell carcinoma in China, where second-line treatment options remain limited," said Mr Johnny Cheng, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of HUTCHMED. "We are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of our research — across monotherapies, combination strategies, and exciting new platforms such as our ATTC technology — to unlock even greater therapeutic potential across various tumor types, ultimately providing more impactful and transformative solutions to patients."
Dr Hui Zhou, Chief R&D Officer of Oncology of Innovent, stated: "The approval is a significant milestone for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in China. It further validates the potential of the sintilimab plus fruquintinib combination regimen, now approved for two difficult-to-treat cancers. We are also proud to achieve the 10th approved indication for sintilimab (TYVYT), and remain committed to advancing clinical value optimization to benefit an even broader population of cancer patients."
About The FRUSICA-2 Trial
Results from the Phase III part of the study were presented at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress. As of the PFS final analysis cutoff of February 17, 2025, the median follow-up was 16.6 months. The median PFS as assessed by BICR was 22.2 months with fruquintinib plus sintilimab, compared to 6.9 months with axitinib/everolimus (stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0.373; stratified log-rank p<0.0001). The objective response rate (ORR) was 60.5% vs 24.3% (Odds Ratio 4.622, p<0.0001), and the median duration of response (DoR) was 23.7 months vs 11.3 months, respectively. Overall survival data were still evolving at the time of data cutoff with maturity of approximately 20%. Efficacy benefits were observed in all prognostic risk groups, as defined by the International mRCC Database Consortium (IMDC) criteria. The safety profile of the fruquintinib and sintilimab combination was consistent with the known profiles of each individual treatment. Additional details may be found at clinicaltrials.gov, using identifier NCT05522231.
About Kidney Cancer and Renal Cell Carcinoma
It is estimated that approximately 435,000 new patients were diagnosed with kidney cancer worldwide in 2022.1 In China, an estimated 74,000 new patients were diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2022.2 Approximately 90% of kidney tumors are renal cell carcinoma.
About Fruquintinib
Fruquintinib is a selective oral inhibitor of all three vascular endothelial growth factor receptors ("VEGFR") -1, -2 and -3. VEGFR inhibitors play a pivotal role in inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Fruquintinib was designed to have enhanced selectivity that limits off-target kinase activity, allowing for drug exposure that achieves sustained target inhibition and flexibility for potential use as part of a combination therapy.3
About Fruquintinib Approvals
Fruquintinib is co-developed and co-commercialized in China by HUTCHMED and Eli Lilly and Company under the brand name ELUNATE. It is approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have previously received fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, and those who have previously received or are not suitable to receive anti-VEGF therapy or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy (RAS wild-type) in China. It was included in China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in January 2020.
The combination of ELUNATE (fruquintinib) and TYVYT (sintilimab injection) has conditional approval in China for the treatment of patients with advanced mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) endometrial cancer who have failed prior systemic therapy and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation.
Takeda holds the exclusive worldwide license to further develop, commercialize, and manufacture fruquintinib outside mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, marketing it under the brand name FRUZAQLA. Fruquintinib received approval for the treatment of previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer in the US, Europe, Japan and many other countries around the world.
About Sintilimab
Sintilimab, marketed as TYVYT (sintilimab injection) in China, is a PD-1 immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody co-developed by Innovent and Eli Lilly and Company. Sintilimab is a type of immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody, which binds to PD-1 molecules on the surface of T-cells, blocks the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, and reactivates T-cells to kill cancer cells.
(Press release, Hutchison China MediTech, MAY 21, 2026, View Source [SID1234665930])