Everest Medicines (HKG: 1952), a leading pharmaceutical company based in China, has announced the official commercialization of Nefecon (targeted-release formulation budesonide) in China, marking a significant milestone with the issuance of the first prescription in the country.
Nefecon is a patented oral, delayed-release formulation of budesonide, a corticosteroid with significant glucocorticoid activity and minimal mineralocorticoid activity. The drug is designed to undergo substantial first-pass metabolism and is formulated as an enteric-coated delayed-release capsule. This ensures that it remains intact until it reaches the Peyer’s patch region of the lower small intestine, where it can exert its therapeutic effect.
In June 2019, Everest Medicines entered into an exclusive, royalty-bearing license agreement with Calliditas. This agreement granted Everest Medicines the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Nefecon in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore. The agreement was further extended in March 2022 to include South Korea within Everest Medicines’ territories. Nefecon has since received marketing approvals in Macau, mainland China, Singapore, and Hong Kong in October 2023, November 2023, March 2024, and May 2024, respectively.- Flcube.com
