GV-971 (Sodium Oligomannate) Enhances Market Access Amid Surging Global Demand for Alzheimer’s Therapies
The potential market demand for Alzheimer’s disease treatments is poised for significant expansion. Recently, GV-971® announced its “One City, Thousand Stores” initiative, establishing deep strategic collaborations with multiple well-known pharmacy chains across China. By boosting production capacity at the source, comprehensively expanding distribution channels, and implementing holistic patient management, these efforts aim to jointly enhance the accessibility of cognitive function-improving therapies while providing comprehensive patient support services in areas such as medication adherence and drug administration management.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the global number of people with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, has reached 50 million, and this figure is projected to rise to 152 million by 2050. China has the largest population of individuals with dementia worldwide, exceeding 10 million, with a rising prevalence trend. A study published in The Lancet Neurology showed that between 1990 and 2016, the prevalence of dementia among adults aged 60 and older in China increased by 5.6%, significantly higher than the global average increase of 1.7%. It is estimated that by 2050, the number of people with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, in China will reach 28 million.
Despite the growing global patient population and rising incidence rates, the actual proportion of patients receiving treatment remains very low due to insufficient public awareness of the disease and the stigma associated with it among most patients. The first "Survey Report on the Living Conditions of Families of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients" in China shows that only 7.58% of patients seek medical attention after noticing abnormalities such as forgetfulness and confusion. Data indicates that globally, only 22% of Alzheimer’s disease patients have received a diagnosis; in China, merely 21% of patients have received a standardized diagnosis, and only 19.6% are undergoing pharmacological treatment.
In fact, some patients with Alzheimer’s disease can prevent the onset of the disease or even achieve a cure through early intervention. The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care states that more than one-third of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented through early intervention. According to the 2018 Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia and Cognitive Disorders, published in the National Medical Journal of China, diagnosis and treatment during the “stage where the patient is aware but the physician is not” would significantly alleviate patients’ suffering and might even lead to a cure.
Industry insiders predict that as disease-related knowledge becomes more widely disseminated, patients will gain a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related interventions, becoming more receptive to the concept of early detection and early intervention. Consequently, market demand for relevant pharmaceuticals is expected to expand rapidly. According to GlobalData, the global market for Alzheimer’s disease treatments alone is projected to reach $13 billion in 2023.
Data indicate that Alzheimer’s disease in its later stages requires long-term care and treatment, with substantial healthcare costs. A 2019 article in The Lancet reported that the total annual treatment expenditure for dementia patients in China reached $167.74 billion (approximately RMB 1.17 trillion) in 2015, accounting for 1.47% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) that year, a figure higher than the global average economic burden.
Taking Alzheimer’s disease as an example, the number of successfully developed drugs worldwide is extremely limited, with a clinical trial failure rate as high as 99.6%. In late 2019, GV-971® (sodium oligomannate capsules), a novel anti-Alzheimer’s drug independently developed in China, received regulatory approval, offering new hope for patients requiring improvement in cognitive function.
GV-971® is a low-molecular-weight acidic oligosaccharide compound derived from marine brown algae extracts. Studies on its mechanism of action have demonstrated that GV-971® improves cognitive function by remodeling gut microbiota balance, inhibiting the abnormal accumulation of specific gut microbial metabolites, reducing peripheral and central inflammation, and decreasing β-amyloid deposition and tau protein hyperphosphorylation.
GV-971® has broken the 17-year history of no new drugs being launched for Alzheimer’s disease. Since 1998, 146 Alzheimer’s drug candidates worldwide have failed in clinical development, with 40% terminating in early-stage clinical trials, 39% failing in mid-stage clinical trials, and 18% failing in late-stage clinical trials. Over the past two decades, major pharmaceutical companies globally have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in developing new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, yet all more than 320 drug candidates that entered clinical studies ultimately ended in failure.
Upon its market launch, GV-971® sent shockwaves through the market. Reports indicated that within less than two weeks of its release, a selling frenzy erupted at pharmacies such as Sifang Pharmacy, Laobaixing Pharmacy, Shuyu Pingmin Pharmacy, Neptune Star Health Pharmacy, and Sinopharm Holdings’ SPS+ specialty pharmacies, with some outlets even reporting region-wide stockouts. “At the beginning of this year, shortages of GV-971® were commonplace; many patients visited our stores or called to inquire about the drug’s availability,” said a representative from Laobaixing Pharmacy’s Xiangya No. 1 Store in Hunan Province.
To enhance the accessibility of Alzheimer’s disease medications and improve patient management services, GV-971® announced the “One City, Thousand Stores” initiative during the West China Pharmaceutical Conference. This initiative aims to foster close collaboration with multiple partners to achieve comprehensive distribution through professional pharmacies across numerous cities in China, thereby enabling more patients to purchase GV-971® conveniently at nearby locations.
It is reported that Jiuqiyi® has established collaborations with multiple well-known pharmacy chains, including Sinopharm Holding Guoda Drugstore Co., Ltd., Laobaixing Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd., Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd., Gaoji Medical, Nepstar Health Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd., Yixintang Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Yikang Pharmaceutical Chain Co., Ltd., Henan Zhang Zhongjing Grand Pharmacy Co., Ltd., and Shuyu Pingmin Grand Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd. The new drug has also been launched in major professional pharmacies (DTP pharmacies) across China, where patients can purchase it with a physician’s prescription. In the future, to meet patient demand for the medication and to enhance medication management services for patients at professional pharmacies, Jiuqiyi® will implement multiple measures to improve drug accessibility and patient care services.
A representative from the team behind Jiuqi Yi® stated, “We will primarily focus on enhancing production capacity, expanding coverage, and strengthening pharmaceutical care services to provide patients across China with better and more comprehensive solutions for cognitive function improvement.”
Driven by robust market demand, construction has commenced on a new manufacturing base for Jiuqi Yi®. With a total investment of RMB 1.227 billion, this GMP-compliant pharmaceutical production facility is expected to complete acceptance and commence operations by the end of 2024. Upon completion and commissioning, the base will significantly expand the production capacity of Jiuqi Yi® and its series of glycan-based drugs, thereby meeting the medication needs of more patients.
“Collaboration with well-known national pharmacy chains will further enhance the accessibility of our medication, striving to prevent situations where patients are unable to purchase drugs and pharmacies are out of stock,” said the company representative. Regarding the expansion of drug coverage, GV-971® plans to partner with multiple renowned pharmacy chains to achieve comprehensive distribution across chain pharmacies in more than 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, thereby collectively reducing the distance patients need to travel to obtain their medications.
On the other hand, medication adherence and medication management services are crucial for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. As a special type of chronic condition, Alzheimer’s often leads to missed doses due to patients’ declining memory. Additionally, many patients discontinue medication prematurely because of its slow initial onset of action, failing to complete the necessary course of treatment and thereby missing the opportunity to timely curb disease progression. Relevant experts point out that such adherence-related issues are highly detrimental to disease control, underscoring the critical need for effective medication management.
GV-971® will support pharmacies in delivering cognitive care pharmaceutical services through professional training, enabling pharmacy staff to better assist patients with medication management. “We plan to provide training on cognitive care pharmaceutical services for pharmacy chains, empowering them to offer valuable consultations and assistance to more patients. This will ensure that pharmaceutical services are effectively implemented, facilitating effective disease management for the public,” stated the head of GV-971®. Each specialized pharmacy in every city will serve as a hub for pharmaceutical services, extending its reach to surrounding communities. This approach will provide convenience to nearby patients, particularly elderly individuals with limited mobility and their families, thereby leveraging the “sentinel” value of pharmacies in providing “local management and local services.”