Shanghai Yizhong and Baiyang Pharma Announce Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate Commercialization of Innovative Oncology Drug
On February 12, 2022, Shanghai Yizhong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Yizhong,” 688091.SH) and Qingdao Baiyang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Baiyang Pharmaceutical,” 301015.SZ) signed a cooperation agreement in Qingdao. The two parties will collaborate on Zisheng®, the brand name for “Paclitaxel Polymeric Micelles for Injection,” an innovative oncology drug under Shanghai Yizhong’s portfolio (hereinafter referred to as “Paclitaxel Micelles”).®to collaborate on commercialization, jointly advance the accessibility of domestically developed innovative oncology drugs, and benefit numerous cancer patients in China.
Signing Ceremony
As cornerstone agents in antitumor chemotherapy, paclitaxel-based products feature a broad range of indications, proven efficacy, and substantial clinical demand. They are currently the most widely used blockbuster antitumor chemotherapeutic drugs in China, with a development history spanning three decades. Pharmaceutical companies both domestically and internationally have continued to develop improved formulations of paclitaxel, further extending the product lifecycle of paclitaxel preparations. Continuous improvements in efficacy and safety have expanded the range of indications and the eligible patient population, driving further growth in the market size and demand for paclitaxel products.
Paclitaxel micelles, as the newest formulation of paclitaxel, employ a novel technology that integrates nanotechnology with the synthesis of biomedical polymer materials. “Zisheng,” the Paclitaxel Polymer Micelles for Injection, is independently developed by Shanghai Yizhong.®, it is the latest formulation of third-generation paclitaxel approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) as a Class 2.2 drug (an innovative formulation not yet marketed domestically or internationally), and also the first paclitaxel micelle approved for marketing in China. Its Phase III clinical study was included in the first batch of projects under the National Science and Technology Major Project for "Major New Drug Development" during the 13th Five-Year Plan period.
This dosage form exhibits exceptional in vivo stability and high sensitivity for intratumoral drug release. Compared with other commercially available paclitaxel formulations, paclitaxel micelles demonstrate a relatively better safety profile even at substantially higher clinical doses, require no premedication for allergy prevention, and do not necessitate special infusion devices, thereby offering greater clinical convenience. Clinical trial results in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) show that paclitaxel micelles significantly improve the objective response rate (ORR) and prolong progression-free survival (PFS). In the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC, paclitaxel micelles have demonstrated unique advantages and advancements in both efficacy and safety, representing a major breakthrough in chemotherapy over the past two decades and emerging as a new therapeutic option for NSCLC chemotherapy.
In recent years, with the reform of China’s drug review and approval system, a large number of pharmaceutical companies have continuously increased their investments in the field of innovative drugs, leading to an explosive growth in the variety and quantity of domestically produced innovative drugs. As a leading domestic enterprise in the innovative research and development of new anti-tumor drugs, Shanghai Yizhong has long been committed to the development of innovative drugs and related products. Adhering to “innovation as the sole strategy for corporate development,” taking “First, Unique, Safe, Forward” as its core values, and regarding the R&D and production of truly “clinical value-oriented innovative drugs” as its fundamental mission, the company possesses core key technologies in nanotechnology and the preparation of pharmaceutical polymer excipients, demonstrating unique innovativeness in nano-drug delivery systems. It was listed on the STAR Market in September 2021.
Driven by favorable pharmaceutical policies and capital investment, China’s innovative drug sector has entered a period of rapid growth. For innovative drug products, market launch is merely the first step in commercialization. Addressing the “last mile” challenge—ensuring rapid deployment to end-market channels and proper patient use—represents a critical bottleneck that innovative drug enterprises must urgently overcome.
In the thriving landscape of domestically developed innovative drugs in China, where the commercial environment is rapidly evolving, partnering with specialized third-party commercialization platforms to achieve mutual success has become the mainstream choice for innovative pharmaceutical companies. At the signing ceremony, Zhou Jinsong, Chairman of Shanghai Yizhong, stated, “Shanghai Yizhong is committed to developing next-generation innovative drugs and providing patients with safe, effective, and affordable high-quality medicines to address urgent unmet treatment needs. Paclitaxel Micelles is our first marketed product. As we enter the commercialization phase, we look forward to collaborating with professional third-party commercialization platforms such as Baiyang Pharmaceutical to jointly facilitate the market entry of innovative drug products, thereby benefiting more cancer patients.”
As a professional commercialization platform for health brands, Baiyang Pharma leverages three core capabilities—"brand operations driven by category insights, customer management via an all-data platform, and mechanisms supporting long-term operations"—to provide specialized brand commercialization services for innovative drug companies. This empowers innovative drug products to rapidly enter application scenarios and breaks the post-launch commercialization deadlock. Currently, Baiyang Pharma has not only built a rich brand portfolio in areas such as OTC, general health, and OTX (prescription drugs), but also operates and manages high-quality products including Roche’s Xeloda and Tarceva, as well as Astellas’ patented drug Betanis.
Fu Gang, Chairman of Baiyang Pharmaceutical, stated: “As a third-party commercialization platform centered on brand operation, Baiyang Pharmaceutical adheres to strict product selection criteria. First, we are committed to eliminating pseudo-innovations and selecting products that truly optimize clinical application scenarios. Second, we leverage our professional assessment capabilities to evaluate the technological barriers of products, thereby avoiding the trap of low-level repetition. Third, we optimize resource allocation through ecological synergy, selecting products that genuinely complement and synergize with Baiyang’s resources for commercialization.”
“Paclitaxel Micelles Zisheng”®“It is a third-generation paclitaxel with significant efficacy and a favorable safety profile. Its distribution in tumor tissues is far higher than that in the bloodstream, making it a revolutionary product. Baiyang Pharmaceutical will optimize resource allocation based on the product’s lifecycle characteristics and develop a rational commercialization strategy to help unlock its value,” Fu Gang further stated.
The collaboration between Shanghai Yizhong and Baiyang Pharmaceutical will integrate both parties’ robust R&D capabilities in innovative drugs with their exceptional commercialization expertise. This strategic alliance is poised to set a new benchmark for the commercialization of innovative therapies.