Hengrui Brings 64 Cancer Studies to ESMO 2026 Madrid

Hengrui Pharma will present 64 research findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 in Madrid, Spain, from October 23 to 27. That’s the largest number the Chinese drugmaker has brought to the meeting. The company says its work now spans more than ten cancer areas, along with oncology supportive care. For patients in Europe and beyond, the programme matters: it puts clinical data before the continent’s leading cancer forum.

The lineup includes three Proffered Paper presentations, three Rapid Oral presentations, 32 posters and 26 e-posters. Hengrui said it has taken part in the congress for 11 consecutive years, since 2016, and had 119 research findings accepted between 2023 and 2025. It will host an exhibition booth for the second consecutive year, after opening its first booth in 2025.

Lung Cancer Data in Focus

The most closely watched item is ruzaltatug rezetecan, a HER3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). Interim analyses from HERON-Lung01, a phase 3 trial comparing the drug with platinum-based chemotherapy, will cover patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer whose disease progressed after EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment. Professor Yi-Long Wu of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital leads the trial, while Chongrui Xu of the same hospital is listed as presenter. The abstract is numbered LBA72. Its session is scheduled for October 26 at Alicante Auditorium.

In July 2026, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) accepted a marketing application for the drug for this patient group, following positive HERON-Lung01 results. A phase III trial is also running in China to test it alongside an EGFR TKI as a first-line treatment. Outside China, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the drug Fast Track designation for patients whose disease progressed after a third-generation EGFR-TKI and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Breast, Pancreatic and Other Studies

Hengrui will also present trastuzumab rezetecan, a HER2-targeted ADC, in HER2-low advanced breast cancer. The HORIZON-Breast06 study is a randomized phase 3 trial led by Academician Binghe Xu of the Cancer Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The company said it is developing the drug for more than ten indications and that it has received a high number of breakthrough therapy designations in China.

A separate abstract reports preliminary phase 2 results for HRS-4642, Hengrui’s KRAS G12D inhibitor, combined with chemotherapy with or without adebrelimab in patients with KRAS G12D-mutant pancreatic cancer. Chenlei Wen of Ruijin Hospital is listed as presenter. Other entries cover camrelizumab in locally advanced rectal cancer, the nectin-4-targeted ADC SHR-A2102 in recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, and rivoceranib in pretreated metastatic thymic epithelial tumours.

Who Benefits, and What to Watch

Hengrui’s president and chief operating officer, Jo Feng, described the congress as a showcase for Chinese innovation. “This year marks the eleventh time we have participated in ESMO, with 64 research presentations - a new record for Hengrui,” Feng said. “We look forward to sharing our latest advances in innovative drug development, presenting clinical evidence demonstrating meaningful benefits for patients, and bringing more Chinese innovation to benefit patients worldwide.”

The company describes itself as a global pharmaceutical firm founded in 1970, with work spanning oncology, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immunological and respiratory conditions, and neuroscience. As of June 2026, it had launched 14 independently developed Class 1 innovative medicines in China. Hengrui says it will add further research data and updates during the congress, so the full picture won’t emerge until the sessions take place.

Why This Matters: Lung cancer patients whose disease has stopped responding to EGFR-targeted pills have limited options, and interim data from HERON-Lung01 could shape what comes next for that group. Ruzaltatug rezetecan has moved into regulatory review in China and carries a Fast Track designation in the United States, but the evidence presented at ESMO will come from the company and remain interim. European oncologists, health systems and patient groups will need to scrutinize the trial results, access arrangements and pricing independently before drawing conclusions about benefit. The congress offers a useful test of whether innovation from China reaches patients across the continent on fair and transparent terms.