Per reporter: Sun Jiaxia Per intern reporter: Xu Libo Per editor: Liang Xiao
On June 22 this year, Fosun Kate's Agiron Sai Injection (trade name: Yi Kaida) was approved for listing by the State Food and Drug Administration, becoming the first car-t product to be listed in China. In September, videos such as "one injection of 1.2 million anti-cancer miracle drugs" and "two months of cancer cells cleared" became popular on various short video platforms, setting off a wave of car-t therapy.
At the last Expo, Yi kaida entered the public eye for the first time as an exhibit. At this year's Expo, Yi Kaida appeared again, and Fosun Pharma also specially arranged a VR display area that reproduced the car-t preparation process in a panoramic way.
During the Expo, Huang Hai, CEO of Fosun Kate, was interviewed by the reporter of the Daily Economic News. Speaking of his feelings about the Expo, Huang Hai said: "The Expo shows that our country has an open door acceptance of the best international platform, good enterprises and good innovation fields. Our Yi kaida and our Fosun Kate are the implementation and portrayal of the spirit of the Expo. In the current biomedical field, there are endless innovation opportunities, and I believe that there will be more international and domestic enterprises to achieve better cooperation through platforms such as the Expo. ”
The car-t exhibition area arranged by Fosun Pharma at this expo
Image source: Courtesy of the enterprise
Here are the full interviews:
NBD: At this year's Expo, Fosun exhibited the car-t treatment drug Yi Kaida that was unveiled in the previous session. After Yikaida was approved to go public this year, this product was exhibited again, what changes compared to the previous edition?
Huang Hai: In fact, after Yi Kaida obtained the approval of the state, the exhibition at this year's Expo is the real "first launch", and the attention has been greatly improved compared with the previous session. I am very grateful to have such a platform as the Expo, so that some high-quality biomedical products from the world can enter China and benefit cancer patients.
nbd: After the indications for Edkada large b-cell lymphoma are approved for marketing, what is the progress of the declaration and review of other indications in the future?
Huang Hai: In fact, in addition to large B-cell lymphoma, Yi Kaida has been approved for a number of indications internationally. Domestically, inert non-Hodgkin lymphoma (including follicular lymphoma and marginal lymphoma) has also been submitted for declaration, and then the Drug Evaluation Center of the State Food and Drug Administration has rated it as a breakthrough therapy.
NBD: The price of car-t products has always been a topic of keen concern to the public, in the search for innovative payment paths, improve patient accessibility, Fosun Kate has the latest progress to share?
Huang Hai: Car-t has a more important goal while ensuring efficacy, that is, to make it available, well-used and affordable for all patients who need treatment.
At the moment, we are mainly working on improving our capabilities in two areas. First of all, Fosun Kate is reducing the pricing of Yikaida as much as possible; secondly, we are also actively promoting our products to the health insurance system everywhere. At present, Suzhou's Huimin Bao, Beijing's Jing Hui Bao, Changsha's Aimin Bao, etc. have all included Yi Kaida, and we also look forward to the joint efforts of the government and all sectors of society to maximize its accessibility and exert the efficacy of the product and realize its social value.
Huang Hai, CEO of Fosun Kate Image source: Courtesy of the enterprise
NBD: In the commercial insurance sector, which companies have been cooperated with?
Huang Hai: We now have 4 or 5 models (to reach cooperation), such as Ping An Insurance, Fosun United Health Insurance, and some international MSH insurance that cover Ikeda's commercial insurance.
NBD: During the Expo, did you have business negotiations with insurance companies and reached cooperation intentions?
Huang Hai: Usually, we have more exchanges and communication with insurance companies, and today at a forum at the Expo, some leaders of the Insurance Association also exchanged views with Fosun Kate, and they paid special attention to car-t therapy.
NBD: What new explorations does Fosun Kate have in the field of cell therapy in the future? In addition to car-t, are there any research and development plans, including car-nk, car-m, etc.?
Huang Hai: We are committed to the cure of tumors, and if it is a good product related to cell therapy, we will actively embrace it.
nbd: During the Expo, as far as the product of Yikaida is concerned, has Fosun reached new cooperation with other enterprises and medical institutions?
Huang Hai: The Expo has allowed us to contact more partners, for example, we have just reached a strategic cooperation with Sinopharm, and Sinopharm Holdings will also sign a strategic cooperation, including the construction of a corresponding cooperation framework. These cooperations have brought broader opportunities to Fosun Kate, and in the future, we can also promote good products to all sectors of society through these platforms.
NBD: In fact, in the field of car-t treatment, domestic companies are in the international leading echelon in the number and progress of R&D pipelines, but this also means that the competition is fierce, will there be internal rolls like PD-1 in the future?
Huang Hai: First of all, I think competition is a very good thing, especially in the field of oncology. Of course, homogeneous competition cuts the value of the product, so I believe that if there are more companies in the car-t field focusing on research and development, focusing on efficacy, this is good for patients, society and companies. We actively embrace and welcome more companies to focus on breakthrough innovations rather than homogeneous me-too.
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