Pfizer's Innovative Acute Leukemia Drug Besponsa Receives First Prescription in Beijing

China Finance and Economics News, June 16 (Reporter Du Ding) Yesterday, Pfizer's innovative drug for acute leukemia, Besponsa (Inotuzumab Ozogamicin for Injection), was prescribed nationwide in China for the first time. It took only two hours from the drug inspection approval to benefiting patients.

The first prescription in Beijing was issued by the team of Huang Xiaojun from the Institute of Hematology, Peking University, marking that the world's first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for relapsed or refractory precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL), Besponsa, has begun to officially benefit patients.

　　Huang Xiaojun's Team from the Institute of Hematology, Peking University

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is one of the four main types of leukemia, a malignant tumor disease characterized by abnormal proliferation of B- or T-lymphocyte precursor cells within the bone marrow. Currently, the treatment for ALL patients in China is mainly chemotherapy. Under traditional standard chemotherapy regimens, it is difficult for patients with R/R ALL to achieve complete remission (CR) and obtain long-term survival. According to statistical data, 40%-50% of adult patients will eventually relapse. For patients with relapsed or refractory ALL, current treatment options have even lower CR rates and poor survival rates. After disease relapse, the overall CR rate of previous treatment regimens for adult ALL patients is approximately 40%, with a three-year survival rate of about 11%, and the five-year overall survival rate is less than 10%.

Professor Huang Xiaojun, Director of the Peking University Institute of Hematology, stated that the arrival of Besponsa can provide patients with more treatment options, and more leukemia patients will have the opportunity to undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, thereby achieving long-term survival. "We also look forward to more innovative drugs being included in the medical insurance catalog in the future to reduce the financial burden on patients."

It is reported that Besponsa is the first FDA-approved antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD22, capable of targeting cancer cells, more easily penetrating the cell membrane, and killing surrounding cells. Compared with existing treatment options, Besponsa can be administered via 1-hour IV infusion in an outpatient setting, offering greater convenience for leukemia patients and improving treatment outcomes. In China, Besponsa was granted priority review due to its "significant therapeutic advantages as an innovative drug" and officially received approval in December 2021.