On June 26, Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Co., Ltd. announced that it willThe sales rights of the newly approved long-acting white blood cell booster, argatroban α for injection, were sold to Qilu Pharmaceutical for 500 million yuan, including an upfront payment of 380 million yuan and additional sales milestone payments.
Arginase α for Injection, a recombinant (yeast-secreted) human serum albumin-human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (I) fusion protein for injection, isA New Generation of Long-Acting G-CSF Drug.The product was independently developed by Mabwell, and its subsidiaryHeld by Jiangsu Taikang Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.,On May 27, the product was just approved for marketing in China.So-called "Shengbai Needle," as the name implies, is an injection that can increase the number of white blood cells after being administered. It is mainly used for cancer patients with reduced white blood cells after chemotherapy, reducing the risk of secondary infections caused by decreased white blood cells, etc.These drugs are widely used.In the oncology department, it is almost a "universal panacea."The market is very large, with annual sales approaching 10 billion.Figure: Sales Trend of Leukocyte-Boosting Injections, Source: Mox Entropy MedicineThe market is large, but it is not really competitive. Currently, there are not many companies participating in this market, only more than twenty, yet it remains very challenging.The biggest issue lies in the overly stable competition within this hundred-billion-dollar market, which is basically dominated by a tripartite standoff among "Qilu Pharmaceutical, Hengrui Medicine, and Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical," firmly occupying the high ground of the market.Figure: 2023 Market Share of Leukocyte-Boosting Injections, Source: Moxent MedicineOnly these three stand at the top of the pyramid, and because of this, it's very difficult for newcomers to break through.So there is this deal at the beginning. It's difficult for new drug companies to achieve sales growth on their own, so they might as well...Sell Directly for Cash；For Qilu Pharmaceutical, with its market share being increasingly eroded, there is an urgent need for a new strong product to capture the market.The needs of both parties coincided perfectly, and the deal was struck immediately.As for Qilu Pharmaceutical's desire to "seize the market," the story runs deep.Before 2018, Qilu Pharmaceutical was undoubtedly the leading player in the field.The short-acting drug "Ruiba" was launched in 1999, and the first-generation long-acting product "Xin Ruiba" was introduced in 2015.By 2017, Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. had captured nearly 50% of the market share.At that time, the only threatening competitor was KeyPharm's subsidiary, KeyPharm BioTech, as both companies’ products were first-generation long-acting G-CSF – Pegylated Human Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Injection. Although KeyPharm BioTech's "Jinyouli" had been on the market since 2011,But in the early stage, Qilu's dominant position remained unshaken, holding only a single-digit market share.The real change occurred after 2018.First, the sales of "Jinyouli" began to climb, increasing from less than 10% market share in 2017 to nearly 24% by 2023. The market presence of Shiyao Baik has significantly strengthened.More fatally, in 2018, Hengrui's sulfur pegfilgrastim was approved. As the second-generation long-acting white blood cell booster, it entered the market with a novel mechanism, quickly breaking through and showing astonishing growth.Breaking 1 billion in three years and 2 billion in four years after its market launch, it not only rewrote the previous competitive landscape but also raised the ceiling for the entire white blood cell boosting market.'%20fill='%23FFFFFF'%3E%3Crect%20x='249'%20y='126'%20width='1'%20height='1'%3E%3C/rect%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Figure:Sales Trend of Pegfilgrastim Sulfate, Source: Moxent MedicineFacing the relentless pressure from Shijian and the unexpected rise of Hengrui, Qilu Pharmaceutical is caught between a rock and a hard place, with its overall market share of leukocyte-boosting injections dropping from 50% in 2017 to 30% today.The market for short-acting white blood cell boosters, with 17 companies already competing, is continuously declining due to the pressure from long-acting white blood cell boosters.Long-actingPEGylated Human Granulocyte Stimulating Factor InjectionSix products are already in competition, and there is a possibility of being included in the biologic drug bulk procurement in the future, with risks of a price war looming.。Qilu's safety margin is continuously shrinking, and sticking to old varieties offers no way out.In this situation, Qilu Pharmaceutical must take action.At this time, a novel long-acting white blood cell booster with a new mechanism was obtained., which is even more empowering for Qilu Pharmaceutical.
Hengrui? Qilu? Shiyao? The Future of the Leukocyte-Boosting Market: Who Will Take the Lead?↓ Follow Yaotong News, Insight into Industry Trends ↓Submission/Corporate Cooperation/Content Communication: Ww_150525
