Everest Medicines (HKG: 1952), a leading biopharmaceutical company based in China, has announced that its Velsipity (etrasimod) has been prescribed for the first time at Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital. This prescription was made possible under the “Hong Kong-Macau Drug and Device Access” policy, which is part of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative allowing patients to access drugs across Hong Kong, Macau, and various cities in Guangzhou.
Velsipity’s Global Registration and Strategic Licensing
Velsipity, a sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator, has already been registered in several key regions including the United States, European Union, Canada, Macau, and Singapore. Everest secured exclusive rights for Velsipity in Greater China and South Korea through a licensing agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals, which is now a subsidiary of Pfizer, in 2017.
Clinical Urgency and Anticipated Regulatory Decisions
Recently included in the list of clinically urgent drugs and medical devices for the GBA’s nine mainland cities, Velsipity is awaiting regulatory decisions in China for the treatment of moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis (UC). The drug’s inclusion in this list underscores its potential importance in addressing unmet medical needs within the region.-Fineline Info & Tech
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