“NIZHPHARM” Group has announced the expansion of its oncology portfolio. The Russian manufacturer has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the Chinese company Chipscreen Biosciences, acquiring rights to sell an innovative drug for the therapy of lymphoma and breast cancer in the EAEU and CIS countries.
Expansion Geography
Under the deal, “NIZHPHARM” becomes the sole distributor of the drug with the active substance Chidamide (Tucidinostat) in 12 states. In addition to Russia, the list includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
In total, this opens access to modern therapy for a market with a population of over 200 million people.
Drug Features
Chidamide is the world’s first selective inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) subtypes. The drug belongs to the class of epigenetic modulators and offers a fundamentally new mechanism of action on tumor cells.
At the moment, the medicine has already proven its efficacy and is registered in China and Japan for three indications:
- Peripheral T-cell lymphoma.
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
- Breast cancer.
Currently, Phase III clinical trials are ongoing globally to expand the spectrum of the drug’s application against other types of cancer.
Strategy and Timeline
“NIZHPHARM” CEO Dmitry Isachenko called the deal a strategic step to provide patients with therapy in niches where unmet medical needs persist.
“Chidamide is a drug with a fundamentally new mechanism of action… It is critical for us that thanks to this partnership we receive exclusive rights to launch the drug in the EAEU and CIS markets.”
— Dmitry Isachenko, CEO of “NIZHPHARM”
The company expects to ensure the availability of the medicine shortly after completing registration procedures. Given the orphan (rare) status of the drug’s indications, the market launch process may be accelerated.
