The price of Immune Gemini "Yiwo" in China is exposed; Cinda, Fosun, Corning and Jerry are catching up

Recently (October 12), Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that the world's first CTLA-4 inhibitor Yiwo (Ipilimumab injection) has been officially launched in China

Public information shows that at present, ipilimumab has been approved for 4 usages worldwide.

Note: The price unit is "yuan"

As soon as the price came out, some netizens commented that the price of ipilimumab injection is too expensive, and BMS does not consider the Chinese market at all; compared with the currently hot "anti-cancer drug" PD-1, the price is even more different.

At present, the annual treatment cost of PD-1 in China is about 40,000 to 50,000 (all the four major domestic PD-1 varieties are included in medical insurance).

So what is special about ipilimumab injection? Why do you think it is expensive? What are the future prospects? What is the layout of domestic pharmaceutical companies?

Ipilimumab is the only listed CTLA-4 inhibitor in the world

Ipilimumab injection is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that can bind to cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4)

Ipilimumab is the representative drug of CTLA-4 inhibitors.

1+1＞2 Create an innovative era of immunotherapy

It is worth mentioning that CTLA-4 and PD1/PDL1 inhibitors are both immune checkpoint immune drugs, with similar mechanisms of action, but they are different.

Image source: Find Medicine Collection

In fact, the study of CTLA-4 inhibitors is earlier than that of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, but due to the shortcomings of low efficiency of CTLA-4 inhibition of single drugs and large side effects, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors

Follow-up through a series of clinical studies found that ipilimumab can be combined with PD1 inhibitors to play the role of "relaxing the brake and stepping on the accelerator", complementing each other, and multiplying the effect, so as to obtain the effect of 1+1>2

According to incomplete statistics, up to now, there have been more than 300 clinical trials of combination therapy registered with ipilimumab, mainly for tumor studies that are sensitive to PD-1 antibodies

Overview of the research on the combination therapy of ipilimumab and nivolumab

Note: The above data is manually searched and organized.

In addition, the combination of ipilimumab to improve the efficiency of medication is still expanding the indications, especially in the "O+Y" combination therapy, from the front line to the adjuvant treatment plan

This time, the indication obtained for ipilimumab injection in China is also the combination therapy of nivolumumab and ipilimumab (O+Y), the first and currently the only CTLA- approved domestically.

Details of the progress of O+Y dual immunotherapy in China's clinical registry trials

Data source: Yaozhi data

Combination Therapy Inspires "Nuggets" Journey Cinda, Fosun, Corning Jerry, etc.

Such drugs with market potential and prospects will undoubtedly attract a large number of pharmaceutical companies to join the track.

Research progress of domestic ipilimumab biosimilars

Data source: Yaozhi data

Summarize

At present, CTLA-4 inhibitors are under continuous active development, especially after dual immunotherapy has brought a new model of tumor treatment, its combination therapy will be more sought after for more tumor types and adjuvant/neoadjuvant therapies.

.
However, with regard to the pricing in China this time, the annual cost of a single drug is more than 400,000, which is prohibitive for an ordinary patient.
In addition, the price of PD-1 for the combination therapy will be unaffordable.
Heavy
.
It is hoped that the subsequent rapid listing of domestically-made CTLA-4 inhibitors will give the original research a certain impact, greatly reduce the price of drugs, and give patients more medication options
.