BioNTech SE (BNTX.US) announced that an experimental drug developed in collaboration with DUALITYBIO-B (09606) has achieved success in breast cancer research, marking the first successful outcome of their partnership. BioNTech stated on Friday that interim analysis results showed the drug outperformed Roche Holding's established drug Kadcyla in treating breast cancer. Patients using the new drug demonstrated a lower risk of disease progression or death.

Cancer drugs represent a cornerstone of BioNTech's future growth strategy. The company generated billions of dollars in revenue during the pandemic through its COVID-19 vaccine collaboration with Pfizer. The results announced Friday represent the achievement from the first late-stage trial conducted in collaboration with DUALITYBIO-B, and mark the first time BioNTech's anticancer compound has succeeded in a study that could potentially gain regulatory approval.

The trial was conducted in China and involved 228 patients whose cancer had metastasized or were unsuitable for surgery. These patients had previously received chemotherapy and trastuzumab treatment. Trastuzumab is an older drug that has become generic in many markets, originally marketed by Roche under the brand name Herceptin.

DUALITYBIO-B specializes in developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment. The company has also established partnerships with companies including GlaxoSmithKline and Avenzo Therapeutics. These international collaborations have sparked investor interest in DUALITYBIO-B's stock. Since its Hong Kong listing in April this year, the company's share price has risen more than 280%.

In Friday's pre-market trading, BioNTech was up nearly 7%.