GSK Launches Novel Once-Daily ICS/LABA Relvar® (Fluticasone Furoate/Vilanterol) in China for Asthma and COPD

Fuzhou, June 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GSK China today announced that its novel ICS/LABA medication, Wanruishu^®(Generic name: fluticasone furoate/vilanterol, FF/VI) has officially entered the Chinese market. As the only once-daily ICS/LABA medication currently available on the market, Wanrui Shu^®Helps improve the management of chronic respiratory diseases.

New ICS/LABA Wanrui Shu^®Contains two active ingredients; fluticasone furoate exhibits more potent anti-inflammatory activity.^[1], while vilanterol provides long-acting bronchodilation lasting 24 hours. The interaction between the two drugs helps more asthma patients achieve better asthma control and reduces acute exacerbations in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Professor Zhou Xin from the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Shanghai General Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, pointed out: "The prevalence of asthma in China is high and continues to rise year by year, yet disease control remains suboptimal. How to further improve asthma control and enhance patients' quality of life is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in China. The novel ICS/LABA combination therapy, Wanshushu..."^®Its market launch will provide new solutions for a wide range of clinicians, further improving asthma control in patients.”

Latest epidemiological survey shows that the number of asthma patients in China currently exceeds 30 million.^[2]. According to the GINA-defined levels of asthma control, the overall asthma control rate in urban areas of China is 28.5%.^[3], asthma control rates are expected to be even lower in remote areas and primary care hospitals. Meanwhile, the rising cost of asthma treatment imposes a significant economic burden on patients, while also causing numerous indirect losses, including work absenteeism, school absence, psychological disorders, and reduced quality of life.

As the lead investigator of the national epidemiological survey on the prevalence of bronchial asthma and its related risk factors, Professor Lin Jiangtao, a member of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Board and Director of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, stated: “Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by a prolonged course and recurrent episodes, which severely impair patients’ quality of life. Clinical practice has demonstrated that inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) combined with long-acting β2-agonists (LABA) can effectively control symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. The novel ICS/LABA combination, Wanruishu^®Provides superior anti-inflammatory efficacy while improving lung function over a sustained 24-hour period with once-daily dosing, thereby significantly simplifying patient treatment regimens and further enhancing asthma control. Clinical studies have demonstrated that, compared to existing ICS/LABA therapies, Wanruishu^®"Capable of achieving a 25% improvement in asthma control, thereby helping more Chinese asthma patients achieve better asthma control."

Professor Ronald Dahl, Vice President of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD), further explained: “Unlike fluticasone propionate, fluticasone furoate carries a furoate ester group at the 17α position, which allows for more complete binding to the glucocorticoid receptor, thereby enhancing its lipophilicity and affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor, resulting in greater anti-inflammatory potency. Meanwhile, compared with other long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs), vilanterol has multiple active sites that can bind to the β2-receptor, thus exerting a longer-lasting bronchodilator effect. The combination of the two can effectively improve asthma control.”

As a global healthcare company that has continuously introduced innovative respiratory medicines over the past two years, GSK regards Wanruishu^®High expectations. Dr. He Lijing, Vice President and Head of Medical Affairs at GSK China, stated: “GSK has 50 years of extensive experience in the global field of chronic respiratory diseases. Since introducing the first short-acting bronchodilator to the Chinese market in 1988, GSK has been supporting the development of chronic respiratory disease management in China for over 30 years. Over the past three decades, from the first inhaled corticosteroid for asthma treatment to the first ICS/LABA combination therapy, and then to once-daily inhalation medication WanruiShu^®, GSK has successfully introduced one innovative respiratory medication after another into China, bringing benefits to more patients. There are 140 million patients with chronic respiratory diseases in China, and we are pleased that WanruiShu^®"Listing in China helps improve disease control levels for Chinese patients and enhances their quality of life."

Varilrix^®It is a combination formulation consisting of the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) fluticasone furoate (“FF”) and the long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) vilanterol (“VI”) (FF/VI). Two FF/VI doses (100/25 mcg and 200/25 mcg) are available for the treatment of asthma, and the 100/25 mcg dose is also indicated for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All doses will be administered using the Ellipta dry powder inhaler (DPI).

References:

^[1] Salter M et al. Pharmacological properties of the enhanced-affinity glucocorticoid fluticasone furoate in vitro and in an in vivo model of respiratory inflammatory disease. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2007;293:L660–7

^[2] Jiangtao Lin, Wenya Wang, Ping Chen, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of asthma in mainland China: The CARE study. Respiratory Medicine. 2018;137:48-54.

^[3]Wang Wenqiao, Lin Jiangtao, Zhou Xin, et al. Survey on the management level of bronchial asthma in 30 hospitals in central cities of China from 2015 to 2016. Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine. 2018;57(1):15-20.