3SBio Gains China Rights to Another Dialysis Drug
3SBio Inc. (NSDQ: SSRX) in-licensed the China rights to a phosphate binder, Nephoxil, from Panacor Bioscience Ltd. of Taiwan. Phosphate binders are routinely prescribed for end stage renal disease, the same population served by 3SBio’s major products, the recombinant anemia drugs EPIAO and TPIAO.
3SBio paid $1 million to Panacor for the rights to Nephoxil and will be responsible for all costs of gaining approval of the drug in China. It will also pay royalties on any sales of Nephoxil, once it is approved. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Panacor says Nephoxil has completed Phase II trials successfully, though not in China. It has now begun Phase III trials in the US, Japan and Taiwan.
Last month, 3SBio announced it had applied to the SFDA for permission to conduct a registrational trial for another in-licensed drug for patients with kidney disease: Feraheme (ferumoxytol) Injection, an IV treatment for iron deficiency anemia. 3SBio licensed the China rights for the drug from AMAG Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ: AMAG) in May 2009.
According to 3SBio, Nephoxil (ferric citrate) is a differentiated, iron-based phosphate binder for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia (elevated phosphate levels) in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Nephoxil is free of aluminum, lanthanum and calcium, and is not polymer-based. Due to the deterioration of kidney function, ESRD patients are unable to excrete phosphorus effectively even through frequent dialysis. Almost all patients require daily phosphate binder intake to control body phosphate levels.
China has about 12 million Stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and over 91,000 dialysis patients.
surf's up......crikey
