Shanghai-based Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals, backed by RTW Investments, has formed a strategic partnership with WuXi STA, a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec (HKG: 2359, SHA: 603259), to establish a sterile nasal spray production line. This collaboration aims to leverage the strengths of both companies, with the new production facility set to be located at WuXi STA’s preparation base in Wuxi. Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
The inaugural product to be manufactured on this production line will be Ji Xing’s varenicline solution nasal spray, known in the U.S. as Tyrvaya. This nasal spray, developed in collaboration with partner Oyster Point Pharma, is a highly selective cholinergic agonist designed to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Notably, it is a preservative-free formulation.
Approved by the U.S. FDA in October 2021, varenicline solution nasal spray holds the distinction of being the first and only nasal spray specifically indicated for dry eye disease. The drug was introduced at Boao Super Hospital in April 2023 as a clinically urgent import drug and is currently awaiting regulatory decisions in China.-Fineline Info & Tech
