Yangtze River Pharma Challenges Merck in the $300M Posaconazole Antifungal Market

Recently, the CDE official website showed that the posaconazole injection produced by YANGTZE RIVER PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP JIANGSU JOINT STOCK CO., LTD with a Category 4 generic drug application has been accepted. Data from Menet shows that global sales of posaconazole exceeded 300 million US dollars in 2020, and increased more than 90% year-on-year at China’s public medical institutions terminals in the first half of 2021. Currently, the manufacturers of posaconazole injection are only MSD and Jiangsu Aosaikang Pharmaceutical.

Posaconazole is a new generation of triazole antifungal drug that can be used to prevent invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis. The product was developed by MSD, with global sales exceeding 300 million US dollars in 2020.

Sales of Posaconazole in Chinese Public Medical Institutions (Unit: Billion Yuan)

Source: Terminal Competition Pattern of Public Medical Institutions in China, MiNe.com

Data from MiNe Network shows that in recent years, the sales of posaconazole in China's urban public hospitals, county-level public hospitals, urban community health centers, and township health centers (referred to as Chinese public medical institutions) have grown rapidly. In 2020, sales were close to 300 million yuan, and in the first half of this year, they increased by 92.11% year-on-year. MSD's market share stands out.

Posaconazole Product Registration Under Review

Source: MiNeiNet MED2.0 China Drug Evaluation Database

Posaconazole has been approved for marketing in the forms of oral suspension, enteric-coated tablets, and injection. Among them, the manufacturer of posaconazole oral suspension is only MSD, with no companies currently under review for production. The manufacturers of posaconazole enteric-coated tablets include Organon Pharma and Shanghai Xuan Tai Pharmaceuticals, while MSD and Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceuticals have production applications under review. The manufacturers of posaconazole injection include MSD and Jiangsu Aosaikang Pharmaceuticals, with YANGTZE RIVER PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP JIANGSU JOINT STOCK CO., LTD, Qilu Pharmaceutical (Hainan), Hainan Better Pharmaceuticals, and six other companies having production applications under review.

Data source: CDE official website, MNI database