April Brings a Wave of Positive News in the Antidiabetic Drug Market

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Industry Dynamics】Diabetes is a metabolic disease, and the number of diabetic patients in China has been continuously increasing in recent years. According to the latest data released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in 2021, the number of diabetic patients in China has reached 140 million.
 

With the continuous growth in the number of patients, the diabetes drug market is expanding, attracting numerous pharmaceutical companies to compete in strategic layouts. Notably, as a result, news of hypoglycemic drugs being launched or passing consistency evaluations in the Chinese market has also been frequently reported in recent years. For instance, in April alone, multiple pharmaceutical companies announced the approval and market launch of hypoglycemic drugs, as well as successful consistency evaluations.
 

On April 15, the NMPA announced the approval of a drug, showing that Shandong New Era Pharmaceutical's Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets, a Category 4 generic drug, has been approved for marketing. Data shows that metformin is a first-line medication for treating Type 2 diabetes. According to MiNeNet data, in 2020, in terminals such as urban public hospitals, county-level public hospitals, urban community health centers, and township health centers in China, metformin became the top non-insulin antidiabetic drug with sales exceeding 6.2 billion yuan.
 

Notably, in recent years, Shandong New Era Pharmaceutical has been increasingly focusing on the diabetes medication sector. The company has successfully obtained Miglitol Tablets, Glimepiride Pellets, and Thioctic Acid Injection. Moreover, its first insulin product, Recombinant Insulin Glargine Injection, has been submitted for production approval and is currently under review.
 

On April 11, Yiling Pharmaceutical announced that the company had received the "Drug Supplemental Application Approval Notice" issued by the National Medical Products Administration. Two drugs, Tinidazole Tablets and Gliquidone Tablets, have passed the consistency evaluation of quality and efficacy for generic drugs. Among them, Gliquidone Tablets are second-generation oral sulfonylurea hypoglycemic agents. As a high-activity proinsulin β-cell agent, it binds to specific receptors on the β-cell membrane of the islets, inducing the production of an appropriate amount of insulin to reduce blood glucose concentration.
 

Coincidentally, Lupu Pharmaceutical also announced on the 11th that its holding subsidiary Saite Company received the "Drug Supplemental Application Approval Notice" (Approval No.: 2022B01434) issued by the National Medical Products Administration for Gliclazide Modified Release Tablets. This drug has passed the consistency evaluation of quality and efficacy for generic drugs. Gliclazide Modified Release Tablets, a second-generation sulfonylurea drug, is used as an oral diabetes treatment medication, mainly for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus when dietary therapy alone is insufficient to control blood sugar. Its hypoglycemic intensity lies between Tolbutamide and Glibenclamide.
 

On April 7, Huadong Medicine announced that its holding subsidiary, Daor Biologics, had received final approval from New Zealand's Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) and Health and Disability Ethics Committee (HDEC) to conduct a Phase I clinical trial of injectable DR10624 locally for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, etc. Currently, there is no long-acting triple agonist drug targeting GLP-1R, GCGR, and FGF21R available on the market globally. The approval of injectable DR10624 for Phase I clinical trials in New Zealand marks Daor Biologics' first overseas approved clinical trial application.
 

From the above, in order to better capture the market, an increasing number of companies are competing to establish a presence in the diabetes medication field. Industry experts predict that, due to the aggravation of population aging, improved living standards, and unhealthy lifestyles, the situation for diabetes prevention and treatment in China will become increasingly severe. Many pharmaceutical companies will further intensify their efforts in this area, making the market competition even fiercer.
 

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice to any person.