San Francisco, California, and Hong Kong, China, September 9, 2026
1cBio and Lee’s Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (Lee’s Pharm) have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement covering the development and commercialization of OC-3, 1cBio’s investigational PARP1 inhibitor, across Greater China and certain Southeast Asian countries. Under the agreement, Lee’s Pharm will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize OC-3 in the licensed territories, while 1cBio is eligible to receive an upfront payment, development milestones and potential sales milestone payments totaling up to US$27 million, in addition to royalties on future net sales. The collaboration is intended to accelerate development of OC-3 for solid tumors with defects in DNA homologous recombination repair.
OC-3 Targets DNA Repair-Deficient Cancers
OC-3 is currently in preclinical development and is being investigated as a potentially best-in-class selective PARP1 inhibitor for cancers characterized by deficiencies in DNA homologous recombination repair (HRR). These cancers include predominantly prostate, ovarian, breast and pancreatic cancers, particularly tumors carrying mutations in important DNA repair genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. According to the companies, OC-3 has demonstrated potent anticancer activity in preclinical models of cancers associated with these DNA repair deficiencies. PARP1 is an important protein involved in the detection and repair of DNA damage. Targeting PARP1 represents an established strategy in oncology, particularly in tumors with compromised DNA repair mechanisms. 1cBio is developing OC-3 with the objective of creating a differentiated therapeutic profile that could potentially address safety and efficacy considerations associated with PARP-targeted cancer therapies. However, OC-3 remains an investigational preclinical program, and its safety and efficacy in humans have not yet been established.
Lee’s Pharm to Support Development in Asia
Under the licensing arrangement, Lee’s Pharm will be responsible for GLP safety studies and manufacturing activities required to support regulatory approval of OC-3 in China and the other Southeast Asian territories covered by the agreement. The collaboration also includes a drug supply manufacturing agreement, providing a framework for supporting future development and commercialization activities in the licensed markets. Lee’s Pharm brings established capabilities across drug development, clinical development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, sales and marketing in China. The company has more than three decades of pharmaceutical industry experience and an oncology-focused development and commercial infrastructure. For 1cBio, the partnership provides a regional development and commercialization partner with capabilities intended to help advance OC-3 toward clinical development in Asia. The agreement also provides an important data-sharing component. 1cBio will have rights to access and use data generated through Lee’s Pharm’s development activities as the U.S. company works toward filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. FDA. The companies expect this arrangement to help support development of OC-3 for patients with solid tumors.
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OC-3 Program Moves Toward Clinical Development
The licensing agreement represents a significant development and commercialization milestone for 1cBio’s oncology pipeline. The company plans to use the collaboration and data generated through development activities to advance OC-3 toward IND submission and clinical trials. The initial development strategy focuses on solid tumors where impaired DNA repair may make cancer cells particularly susceptible to PARP1 inhibition. 1cBio is an emerging biopharmaceutical company developing therapies for serious and underserved diseases, with programs spanning oncology and metabolic disorders. OC-3 is the company’s second major development program and is being positioned as a potential selective PARP1 inhibitor for solid tumors. Lee’s Pharm, meanwhile, has an established presence in China and maintains partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology. The collaboration between the two companies could expand the development footprint of OC-3 across China and Southeast Asia while providing 1cBio with regional development resources and access to additional clinical and regulatory capabilities. Future regulatory and clinical milestones will determine whether the preclinical activity observed with OC-3 can translate into a meaningful therapeutic benefit for patients with DNA repair-deficient cancers.
Source: 1cBio, Lee’s Pharmaceutical Holdings press release
