Ascentage Pharma Group International (NASDAQ: AAPG, HKEX: 6855) appointed Faiçal Miyara as Chief Business Officer and Jim Ziegler as Chief Commercial Officer on Aug. 02, 2026, to accelerate its global expansion strategy. The dual appointments establish dedicated leadership for global business development under Dr. Miyara and US commercialization under Mr. Ziegler, addressing the company’s need for specialized execution as multiple registrational Phase III studies advance. Both executives report directly to Dr. Dajun Yang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Executive Appointments

The company structured the new roles to separate strategic partnership development from market-facing commercial execution. Dr. Miyara leads global business development, leveraging over 20 years of oncology-focused experience from IO Biotech, Ipsen, Pfizer Inc., ImClone Systems, and Eli Lilly and Company. Mr. Ziegler oversees commercialization in the United States and other countries outside of China, bringing more than 25 years of experience from Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Iovance Biotherapeutics, and Geron.

Dr. Yang stated the appointments significantly strengthen the company’s capabilities during a new phase of global expansion. He highlighted Dr. Miyara’s track record in building high-value oncology pipelines and Mr. Ziegler’s expertise in product launches and market access for hematologic malignancies.

Strategic Context

The leadership changes coincide with critical clinical milestones. Ascentage Pharma is conducting FDA- and EMA-cleared registrational Phase III trials for its approved products. These include POLARIS-2 for olverembatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), POLARIS-1 for newly diagnosed Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and POLARIS-3 for SDH-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Additionally, the company is running four global Phase III trials for lisaftoclax, including GLORA, GLORA-2, GLORA-3, and GLORA-4 across various hematologic indications.

Olverembatinib is currently approved in China for CML patients with T315I mutations and is covered by the China National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Lisaftoclax holds approval in China for adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) previously treated with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. The company’s pipeline also includes inhibitors targeting Bcl-2 and MDM2-p53, next-generation kinase inhibitors, and protein degraders.

What the Numbers Show

The simultaneous appointment of a CBO and CCO signals a shift from pure R&D execution to integrated commercial readiness. While the company maintains partnerships with Takeda, AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, and Innovent, the creation of a dedicated US commercial function suggests an intent to capture direct revenue streams outside of licensing deals. This structural change aligns with the progression of olverembatinib and lisaftoclax into late-stage global trials, where commercial infrastructure becomes a prerequisite for potential regulatory approvals in Western markets.

Ascentage Pharma Group International (NASDAQ: AAPG, HKEX: 6855) announced on July 26, 2026, that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dajun Yang, has been named to The Medicine Maker Power List 2026. Dr. Yang ranks No. 3 among the Top 10 in the Small Molecules category, a distinction that underscores the company’s growing influence in global oncology drug development. This recognition arrives as Ascentage Pharma advances multiple global registrational Phase III clinical studies, four of which have been cleared by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The award reflects the industry’s acknowledgment of Dr. Yang’s three-decade commitment to addressing significant unmet medical needs through innovative small molecule therapies.

The Medicine Maker Power List is published annually by The Medicine Maker, a leading international publication serving the global pharmaceutical industry. The list recognizes global leaders across small molecules, biopharma, and advanced therapies who are nominated by industry peers worldwide and selected by a panel of expert judges. The 2026 edition honors 60 distinguished leaders from across the global pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Yang’s inclusion highlights his role in advancing drug discovery, manufacturing innovation, and patient access to innovative medicines, particularly in the realm of apoptosis pathways and targeted protein degradation.

Leadership and Pipeline Progress

Under Dr. Yang’s leadership, Ascentage Pharma has successfully commercialized two innovative therapies: olverembatinib and lisaftoclax. Olverembatinib is the first novel third-generation BCR-ABL1 inhibitor approved in China for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) featuring T315I mutations. It is covered by the China National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Lisaftoclax, approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in July 2025, is a novel Bcl-2 inhibitor for the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) who have previously received at least one systemic therapy including Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. It is only the second Bcl-2 inhibitor approved anywhere in the world since venetoclax in 2016.

The company is currently conducting several global registrational Phase III trials:

Notably, lisaftoclax is currently the only Bcl-2 inhibitor being evaluated in a global registrational Phase III study for patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), with the potential to address a longstanding unmet clinical need in this setting. Olverembatinib and lisaftoclax are currently under investigation and have not yet been approved by the US FDA.

Strategic Milestones and Partnerships

Ascentage Pharma has achieved significant strategic milestones under Dr. Yang’s tenure. The company completed one of the largest business development transactions involving an innovative small molecule company in China. Following its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in October 2019 and its Nasdaq listing in January 2025, Ascentage Pharma became the first biopharmaceutical company to achieve dual primary listings by listing first in Hong Kong and subsequently in the United States. The company has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including Takeda, AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, and Innovent. It also maintains research and development relationships with leading institutions such as Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic, National Cancer Institute, and the University of Michigan.

What the Numbers Show

The concentration of regulatory clearances from both the FDA and EMA for four distinct Phase III studies signals a robust global development strategy rather than a China-centric approach. This dual-regulatory validation reduces execution risk for international commercialization. Furthermore, the approval of lisaftoclax as only the second Bcl-2 inhibitor globally since 2016 highlights Ascentage Pharma’s ability to compete in highly specialized therapeutic areas with limited competitive alternatives, potentially securing significant market share in hematologic malignancies upon global approval.

Dr. Dajun Yang stated: "I am honored to be included in The Medicine Maker Power List 2026. This recognition is not only a personal honor, but also a recognition of the Ascentage Pharma team’s longstanding dedication to global innovation in small molecule drug discovery. Developing innovative medicines is a long-term endeavor. We will continue to address unmet medical needs worldwide by advancing our apoptosis-targeted innovation pipeline, accelerating our global development efforts, and bringing more innovative medicines to patients around the world."

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties discussed in Ascentage Pharma’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed on April 29, 2026.