Zai Lab has recently caused a stir in the capital market, with its stock price surging 40% in less than a month.

Behind this impressive performance is the strong potential of its core pipeline, zoci (ZL-1310), which is gradually growing into a cornerstone drug in the field of oncology treatment , injecting strong momentum into the company's future development.

Zoci's impressive data is the core support for its potential status as a cornerstone drug . This drug is a potentially first-in-class DLL3 ADC .

In patients with brain metastases from extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), the confirmed intracranial objective response rate (iORR) at a dose of 1.6 mg/kg was 62.5% , including 4 cases of complete remission. Fourteen patients remained disease-free at a median follow-up of 9.2 months.

In terms of safety, zoci also performed excellently, with only 16.4% of grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events in the 1.6 mg/kg dose group. This good safety and tolerability lays a solid foundation for its subsequent clinical application and combination therapy.

In another phase 1b/2 study of patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma and other specific solid tumors, zoci treatment reduced tumor volume in multiple extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma (epNEC) subtypes, with an overall objective response rate of 38.2% (13/34) and an overall disease control rate of 55.9% (19/34) across all study cohorts in evaluable response patients. Zoci also demonstrated a manageable safety profile.

The rapid clinical progress of Zoci further demonstrates Zai Lab's R&D capabilities. This drug is currently the world's most advanced DLL3 ADC, taking less than two years from the completion of the first patient enrollment to advancing to a pivotal global registrational Phase 3 clinical trial—a "lightning-fast" advancement rarely seen in the field of oncology drug development.

Currently, a global Phase 3 registration study for second-line and above small cell lung cancer has been initiated, with plans to enroll approximately 665 patients worldwide. The company also plans to initiate three pivotal registration studies for first-line small cell lung cancer and neuroendocrine carcinoma by the end of 2026 , with a target of submitting a marketing application based on data in early 2027. This efficient R&D pace gives Zoci a significant time advantage over similar drugs globally, providing a strong guarantee for seizing market opportunities.

Another key factor in Zoci's emergence as a cornerstone drug is its strong potential for combination therapy. Recently, Zai Lab has entered into clinical collaborations with Amgen and Boehringer Ingelheim to explore the combined use of Zoci with Amgen's DLL3/CD3 T-cell connective tarlatamab and Boehringer Ingelheim's DLL3/CD3 T-cell connective obrixtamig, respectively. Under the agreements, Zai Lab will provide the investigational drug to its partners while retaining full ownership of Zoci.

These collaborations not only validate Zoci's recognition within the industry but also broaden its clinical application boundaries. They are expected to further improve treatment outcomes through combination therapy, providing better treatment options for small cell lung cancer patients and making Zoci a potential cornerstone drug for next-generation cancer treatment.

The recent surge in Zai Lab's stock price reflects the market's high recognition of Zoci's potential and affirms the company's strategic transformation from "licensing and importing" to a dual-drive strategy of "independent R&D + global cooperation".

As Zoci's clinical trials continue and more data is released, this cornerstone drug is expected to open up broader market opportunities for Zai Lab in the future, drive the company to achieve greater breakthroughs in the field of innovative drugs, and bring more new treatment options to cancer patients worldwide.

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