Evogene, a computational chemistry leader, and Shanghai Lishan Biopharmaceuticals have announced that Biomica, Evogene’s subsidiary, has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Lishan Biotech for its groundbreaking microbiome cancer therapy.

 

The pact is for BMC128 (designated LS-LBP-002 by Lishan), a first-in-class microbiome-based therapeutic aimed at boosting anti-tumor immune activity.

 

Developed by Biomica, BMC128 is a live biopharmaceutical consortium of four human gut bacterial strains engineered to enhance immunotherapy responses. The therapy is currently completing Phase 1 clinical trials in renal cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer, showing “excellent safety and tolerability” and early efficacy signals, including a high proportion of patients with previously progressive disease achieving stable disease.

 

Under the deal, Lishan Biotech will take over global clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization, while Biomica is set to receive milestone payments and royalties on future sales. Lishan Biotech plans to move BMC128 into Phase 2 trials and pursue regulatory approval in both China and the U.S.

 

Weijie Chen, Chairman of Lishan Biotech, said: "This collaboration ensures that BMC128 continues to advance toward its next clinical milestones. We are impressed by the effects observed with BMC128 in lung and renal cancer patients who had experienced disease progression prior to treatment, and we look forward to advancing the program through further development and ultimately toward commercialization, for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide.”

 

Ofer Haviv, CEO of Evogene and Biomica, added: “We are pleased to partner with Lishan Biotech as BMC128 enters its next phase of development. Lishan Biotech’s strong development capabilities and commitment to innovative microbiome-based therapeutics position this program for meaningful value creation in difficult-to-treat cancers. As a major shareholder of Biomica, Evogene expects to benefit from BMC128’s future success.”

 

Jing Bao, Director at Biomica, stated: "We are very pleased to see the execution of this meaningful and impactful collaboration agreement. This partnership brings together China’s clinical development capabilities with Israel’s innovation in microbiome science. We believe the success of this project will benefit patients worldwide and contribute to important breakthroughs in microbiome-based therapeutics.”

 

This agreement positions BMC128 as a potential breakthrough in microbiome-based cancer therapy, combining Israeli scientific innovation with China’s clinical and commercial expertise.