CStone Pharmaceuticals (HKG: 2616), a biopharmaceutical company based in China, has announced a strategic partnership with Ewopharma, granting the European firm commercialization rights to its programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor sugemalimab across Switzerland and 18 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). The CEECs include EU member states such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, as well as non-EU countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, and Serbia.
Under the agreement, Ewopharma will make an upfront payment of USD 51.3 million to CStone Pharmaceuticals, with additional payments tied to regulatory and sales milestones. Ewopharma will handle pricing, reimbursement, marketing, and distribution, while CStone Pharmaceuticals will oversee product supply and provide training and support.
Sugemalimab, an in-house developed drug by CStone Pharmaceuticals, received its initial approval in China in December 2021. Since then, it has gained approval for five indications, including stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and gastric cancer.- Flcube.com
