Shanghai, China, October 16, 2023 – Asieris Pharmaceuticals (Stock Code: 688176.SH), a global biopharma company specializing in discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs for the treatment of genitourinary tumors and other related diseases, announced the successful commercialization and launch of its product Pazopanib tablets (Dipaite) in China. The first prescription was written by Professor Ye Dingwei, Vice President of Fudan University-affiliated Cancer Hospital and Chief Expert of the Genitourinary Tumor Multidisciplinary Team.
Pazopanib tablets (Dipaite) is a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients and for those who have previously received cytokine therapy for advanced RCC. The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) recommends Pazopanib monotherapy as the standard first-line treatment for advanced RCC. The drug is available in oral tablet form, making it convenient to administer, and it is covered by medical insurance. In May of this year, Pazopanib tablets received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for commercialization.
According to the 2020 global cancer burden data, there were 431,000 new cases and 179,000 deaths from renal cell carcinoma worldwide, ranking it as the third most common genitourinary tumor after prostate and bladder cancer. In 2020, China had approximately 70,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths from renal cell carcinoma, making it the country with the highest incidence and mortality rates globally.1 The incidence of renal cell carcinoma in China has been on the rise over the past 20 years, with an increase of 81.43% from 1990 to 2019.2
The global multicenter COMPARZ study demonstrated that in the Chinese population, the objective response rate (ORR) evaluated by investigators in the Pazopanib group was 41%, while the ORR in the sunitinib group was 23%. This indicates that Pazopanib has a better tumor shrinkage effect in the Chinese population.3 Real-world data also showed that Pazopanib provided greater overall survival (OS) benefits compared to Sunitinib4, even in patients with poor physical condition or older age, and demonstrated good tolerability.5-6 Additionally, common adverse reactions that affect patients’ quality of life, such as hand-foot syndrome, leukopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia, were more frequently observed in the sunitinib group.3,7 This suggests that Chinese patients have better tolerance to Pazopanib, making it a more suitable targeted therapy for renal cell carcinoma in China.
“The launch of Dipaite marks the starting point and determination of our company’s commercialization efforts. It is an important milestone as Asieris officially enters the commercialization phase. “said Mr. Jiang Xinming, Vice President of Marketing Department of Asieris. “We believe that Dipaite will bring new treatment options to advanced RCC patients and provide broader market opportunities for Asieris. We will continue to promote the development and commercialization of more drugs to meet the treatment needs of patients.”
Currently, the first comprehensive management public welfare project for advanced renal cell carcinoma patients in China has been officially launched. This project aims to improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment by providing comprehensive management services that accurately address the needs of doctors and patients. The services include disease education, outpatient follow-up, and medication compliance management, enhancing patients’ self-management capabilities, helping doctors understand patients’ disease progression, increasing patients’ treatment confidence, and ensuring treatment integrity. Patients can join the project and access services through recommendations from their attending physicians.
- World Health Organization (WHO). World cancer report 2020.
- 陈磊,徐杰茹,王冕,等. [J].中华疾病控制杂志,2021,25(09):1026-1033.
- BMC Cancer. 2020;20(1):219.
- Pal SK, et al. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2017 Aug;15(4):e573-e582.
- Nicholas J et al.Adv Ther. 2017 Nov;34(11):2452-2465.
- Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2022 Oct;20(5):473-481.
- N Engl J Med. 2013 Aug 22;369(8):722-31.
About Asieris
Asieris Pharmaceuticals(688176.SH), founded in March 2010, is a global biopharma company specializing in discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs for the treatment of genitourinary tumors and other related diseases. We strive to improve human health to preserve patient’s dignity. We aim to become a global pharma leader that integrates R&D, manufacturing and commercialization in our areas of focus, as we provide best-in-class integrated diagnosis and treatment solutions for patients in China and worldwide.
The company has been developing its proprietary R&D platform and core technologies, exploring new mechanisms of action, and efficiently screening and evaluating drug candidates. With a well-established in-house R&D system and expertise in global drug development, Asieris is committed to launching first-in-class drugs and other innovative products to address huge unmet needs in its areas of focus.
Asieris is also enhancing its pipeline for genitourinary diseases via proprietary R&D and strategic partnerships, while closely following cutting-edge technologies and therapeutics. The company strives to discover and identify unmet clinical needs, and adopts a forward-looking approach in product planning and life-cycle management. We aim to establish an outstanding portfolio that covers diagnosis and treatment in a bid to benefit more patients in China and globally.
