BIOTECH company 3SBio Inc. (HKEX: 1530) said it has acquired the ex-China global rights to Apexigen's anti-TNF monoclonal antibody ("mAb") technology. Shenyang, China-based 3SBio previously acquired the China rights for the anti-TNF mAb, designated SSS07, in 2006.
"Acquiring the global rights to this anti-TNF mAb technology also positions 3SBio to participate in the USD 35-billion global market for anti-TNF inhibitors," said chairman and CEO Dr. Jing Lou.
Anti-TNF mAb/SSS07 is a genetically engineered monoclonal antibody that inhibits TNF, which is one of the key chemokine messengers that regulate the inflammatory process and plays an important role in the underlying mechanisms of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and many other inflammatory disorders. When human body produces too much TNF, it overwhelms the immune system's ability to control inflammation of the joints or of psoriasis-affected skin areas.
3SBio has completed pre-clinical testing and demonstrated higher potency for anti-TNF mAb/SSS07 than the best-known available TNF inhibitors, including adalimumab and infliximab, potentially improving treatment options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
In March 2015, 3SBio initiated a dose-escalating Phase I trial for SSS07 in China (NCT02460393). A Phase 1b trial is also scheduled to start in early 2016 using multiple doses in healthy individuals.
"Dosing of the first cohort of Phase I trial participants with SSS07 was a significant milestone towards our goal of introducing a safe, effective and affordable treatment for the estimated 17 million patients globally who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, including 4.5 to 5.0 million in China," Dr. Lou said.
3SBio, which raised HKD 5.51 billion ($710.68 million) in an IPO to fund acquisitions and recruit staff earlier this month, stated that China's biopharmaceutical market grew at an average rate of 25.2% from 2009 to 2013, when it accounted for about 4.4% of the global market of USD 100.5 billion.
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