Lenvima® (Lenvatinib) Included in China's 2020 National Reimbursement Drug List for First-Line Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

SHANGHAI, Dec. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Eisai (China) Investment Co., Ltd. ("Eisai China") and MSD (MSD is the business name of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA) jointly announced that lenvatinib mesylate capsules (brand name: Lenvima), a first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma co-developed and commercially promoted by the two companies,^®(hereinafter referred to as “Lenvatinib”) was officially included in China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (2020 Edition) (hereinafter referred to as the “National NRDL”).

"In China, liver cancer is the fourth most common malignant tumor and ranks second among all causes of cancer-related deaths."^[1]. Due to the nonspecific early symptoms of liver cancer, most patients are already at an intermediate or advanced stage of the disease at initial diagnosis, thereby imposing a substantial disease and economic burden on them. Lenvatinib is currently approved in China for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in patients who have not previously received systemic therapy.

“The inclusion of lenvatinib in the National Reimbursement Drug List is the result of close collaboration among the government, experts, medical institutions, and other stakeholders with the enterprise. We sincerely thank the Chinese government for its tireless efforts to expand access to innovative oncology therapies.”Yanhui Feng, Senior Vice President of Eisai Global and President of Eisai China, stated“Eisai, with ‘human health care’ as its corporate foundation, will continue to collaborate with all parties to contribute to improving the well-being of liver cancer patients and their families in China.”

“The inclusion of lenvatinib in the National Reimbursement Drug List is a significant government initiative to benefit the public, reflecting the state’s high priority on enhancing the comprehensive treatment of liver cancer and improving the accessibility and affordability of innovative drugs.”Robert W. Davis, Senior Vice President of MSD and President of MSD China (Joseph Romanelli）stated, “The collaboration between MSD and Eisai aims to enable more Chinese patients to benefit from innovative anti-tumor drugs, and the inclusion of lenvatinib in the National Reimbursement Drug List will undoubtedly help us better achieve this goal.”

^[1]2019 National Cancer Reporthttp://www.china-rt.cn/special/846.html