RemeGen Co., Ltd., a commercial-ready biotechnology company, announced that two of its innovative drugs, a dual-targeted TACI-Fc fusion protein, Telitacicept (RC18) for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Disitamab Vedotin (RC48) for treating locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, have been officially included in this year’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL).RemeGen has research laboratories and offices throughout China and the United States.
SLE has one of the highest mortality and disability rates among autoimmune rheumatic diseases. According to Frost & Sullivan, approximately 7.8 million patients will be diagnosed with SLE in 2020, and it is estimated to reach 8.6 million by 2030. There is a substantial unmet medical need for more effective and better-tolerated therapies for the treatment of SLE. Telitacicept is a first-in-class fusion protein product capable of simultaneously inhibiting the binding of two cytokines: a proliferation-inducing ligand and recombinant B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) proved with higher efficacy in treating SLE.
“SLE does not only severely affect patients’ health but also brings a lot of difficulties in their lives. Telitacicept brings new changes for current SLE treatments in China, to maintain low disease recurrence rate, and reduce the use of glucocorticoids for patients,” said Professor Zhao Yan, Director of Rheumatism Branch, Chinese Medical Association, and Chief Physician of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
“Gastric cancer has the characteristics of high morbidity and mortality, low early diagnosis rate, and poor prognosis. In the process of drug development, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the range of people benefiting from Disitamab Vedotin was greater than we thought. That is to say, patients with HER2 expressing (IHC++) or high expressing (IHC+++) can benefit regardless of their FISH expression status. This is the first ADC drug in the international gastric cancer field to report this result making it is a breakthrough development, “said Professor Lin Shen, Deputy Director of Peking University Cancer Hospital and Beijing Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment and Director of the Department of Gastroenterology.