Merck's Keytruda Finds Fast Entry Into China Via Medical-Tourism Push
September 23 2016 - 09:41AM
Dow Jones News
BEIJING -- Merck & Co.'s immunotherapy cancer drug Keytruda
is finding its way into China as the first imported drug approved
for use under a pilot program on the resort island of Hainan
intended to boost medical tourism.
The fast-track entry for Keytruda into China, albeit limited, is
likely to give Merck an advantage in competing with Bristol-Myers
Squibb Co., which is also seeking approval in China for its rival
drug Opdivo. Both companies had faced a lengthy approval process
required by Chinese regulators.
An institution affiliated with Hainan Health and Family Planning
Committee announced on its account on the WeChat messaging platform
late Thursday that Keytruda will be the first imported drug used in
a cancer hospital in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism
Pilot Zone in Hainan.
Set up in 2013, the zone sets special rules on foreign
investment, such as 100% foreign ownership in hospitals and
fast-track approvals for new drugs and medical devices. The
hospital gained approval from the China Food and Drug
Administration to import Keytruda this March, and will import more
foreign cancer drugs based on patients' need, according to the
announcement.
It wasn't known what indications for the drug's use the approval
for the Hainan hospital covered, or how it would be priced.
Merck's representatives in China didn't reply to requests for
comment.
Chinese patients have increasingly traveled overseas to access
new therapies.
The pilot zone in Boao is likely to attract Chinese patients
that would otherwise travel to Hong Kong and Macau for drugs that
have yet to be approved by the CFDA.
Major drugmakers are trying different ways to enter the Chinese
market, such as producing locally or working with local partners to
qualify for priority-review status. China's drug regulator said
last year that it will prioritize innovative medicines that address
unmet medical needs.
Keytruda was approved in the U.S. for treating cancers including
melanoma and certain types of lung cancer.
In March, Premier Li Keqiang visited the pilot zone, which is
China's first medical-tourism center, and stated that medical
tourism has the potential to improve people's livelihood with a new
business model that combines medical care with a vacation.
Fanfan Wang contributed to this article
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 23, 2016 09:26 ET (13:26 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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