Beijing News (Reporter Wang Kala) November 5th - November 10th, the 6th China International Import Expo was held in Shanghai. GSK brought its重磅 innovative product, Belimumab for Injection (trade name "Benlysta"), back to the CIIE. Thanks to the spillover effects of previous CIIEs, GSK has successfully accelerated the introduction and accessibility of several innovative medical products.
Belimumab is the only biologic agent recommended by the Chinese guidelines, EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology) guidelines, and KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) guidelines, and has been approved by the China National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). GSK looks forward to leveraging the CIIE platform to explore diverse cooperation models with all parties, jointly helping to improve the quality of life for lupus patients.
Lupus is a general term for a group of chronic autoimmune connective tissue diseases, with systemic lupus erythematosus being the most common type. It can cause damage to multiple organs and tissues such as the kidneys, cardiovascular system, lungs, digestive system, blood system, blood vessels, and eyes, significantly increasing the risk of death for patients. As of now, there are over 1 million lupus patients in China, most commonly seen in women of childbearing age.
At the 2019 CIIE, Benlysta made its debut as "the world's and China's first biologic approved for the treatment of adult systemic lupus erythematosus." This year marks Benlysta's fifth consecutive participation. Thanks to the optimization of China’s new drug review and approval policies, the introduction of relevant medical insurance access policies, and the ongoing spillover effects of the CIIE, the adult and pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus indications for Benlysta have successively been included in the medical insurance catalog. Efforts are actively underway to promote the inclusion of the adult lupus nephritis indication into medical insurance.
Proofread by Baoqing Liu