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Ascentage Pharma Group International (NASDAQ: AAPG; HKEX: 6855) said it will present four preclinical studies in poster format at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place April 17 to 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. The posters cover three investigational drug candidates: Olverembatinib (HQP1351), APG-2449, and APG-5918.
The company reported that multitarget kinase inhibitor Olverembatinib (HQP1351) was efficacious and showed synergy with chemotherapy in preclinical models of endometrial carcinoma (EC).
Summary: Across a range of in vitro and in vivo EC models, Olverembatinib was reported to be efficacious and to synergize with chemotherapy agents to promote antitumor effects. Mechanistically, the company said Olverembatinib plus chemotherapy suppressed FGFR2, PI3K/AKT, and MEK/ERK signaling, induced DNA damage, and enhanced apoptosis. The findings, the company said, support future clinical evaluation of Olverembatinib and combinations in EC.
Ascentage also presented preclinical results for Olverembatinib (HQP1351) combined with BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) models.
Summary: The company reported that Olverembatinib inhibited MCL cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo and showed synergistic effects with acalabrutinib. It said the combination promoted apoptosis and induced G0/G1 cell-cycle arrest. Mechanistically, the company said Olverembatinib inhibited Lyn phosphorylation and downstream BTK signaling, while the combination further downregulated NF-kB activity. The company said the results provide a rationale for clinical evaluation of the combination in MCL.
Another poster focused on APG-2449, described as a FAK-targeting multikinase inhibitor, and its ability to enhance MAPK pathway blockade in BRAF V600E-mutant tumor models.
Summary: The company reported selective sensitivity of BRAF V600E-mutant cancer cell lines to APG-2449. It said APG-2449 suppressed compensatory signaling triggered by MAPK pathway blockade and synergistically enhanced the antitumor activity of dabrafenib plus trametinib in preclinical CRC and melanoma models. The company said the results support clinical development of APG-2449 for patients with BRAF V600E-mutant melanoma or colorectal cancer.
The final poster described preclinical findings for APG-5918, an EED inhibitor, combined with topoisomerase I inhibitors in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) models.
Summary: In preclinical SCLC models, the company reported that APG-5918 combined with topoisomerase I inhibitors synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. In vivo, it said APG-5918 plus irinotecan showed synergistic antitumor activity in the NCI-H446 SCLC cell-derived xenograft model without significant body-weight loss, indicating favorable tolerability.
The company said the combination reduced the repressive histone mark H3K27me3, consistent with on-target PRC2 inhibition. It reported that APG-5918 increased SLFN11 and p21 expression, while topotecan or SN-38 increased H3K27me3 levels and APG-5918 reduced that effect. It also said combination treatment decreased expression of PRC2 core components, suppressed cell-cycle progression, and enhanced DNA damage and apoptotic signaling, supporting a synergistic proapoptotic effect. The company said the findings support clinical investigation of APG-5918 with DNA-damaging agents in SCLC.
Ascentage said the four studies reflect what it described as the breadth of its pipeline and its focus on exploring therapeutic potential across hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including combination approaches with other approved treatment options.
Olverembatinib, APG-2449, and APG-5918 are currently under investigation and have not been approved by the U.S. FDA.
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