InnoCare Pharma Limited (9969.HK), a biopharmaceutical company, announced on Tuesday enrollment of the first patient in the Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Orelabrutinib in treating systemic lupus erythematosus.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease that leads to multi-organ damage, affecting the kidneys, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, blood, and respiratory system of the patient. There are an estimated 8 million people, mostly young and middle-aged women, living with SLE worldwide.
Orelabrutinib is a novel, BTK-inhibitor developed to treat varied inflammatory indications. It is the first BTK inhibitor to show significant efficacy in a Phase 2 trial for SLE. In the Phase 2b trial, orelabrutinib successfully met the primary endpoint, achieving statistically significant improvement in SLE Response Index-4 (SRI-4) at week 48. Patients in the testing cohort also demonstrated a decrease of steroid use when compared to those on a placebo.
The ongoing Phase 3 trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of orelabrutinib. The primary endpoint is established as the SRI-4 response rate measured at week 52.
9969.HK is trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, and closed Tuesday at HK$ 13.72, down 2.35%.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.