CAR-T Myeloma:China’s Fifth CAR-T Cell Therapy Zevorcabtagene Autoleucel Approved for Marketing
CAR-T Myeloma:China’s Fifth CAR-T Cell Therapy Zevorcabtagene Autoleucel Approved for Marketing
On March 5, 2024, China’s fifth CAR-T cell therapy, Zevorcabtagene Autoleucel(trade name: Sai Kaize), developed by Keymed Biosciences, was approved with a launch price of 1.15 million yuan. The peak annual terminal sales of this drug are expected to exceed 1 billion yuan.
Sai Kaize® is an autologous BCMA-targeted CAR-T cell product generated through lentiviral transduction of T cells. It is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
According to public data, multiple myeloma is a difficult-to-treat malignant plasma cell disorder, accounting for approximately 10% of all hematological malignancies. With the acceleration of population aging in China, the number of patients with multiple myeloma will continue to increase.
Zevorcabtagene Autoleucel approved for listing in China
Source: China National Medical Products Administration
Zevorcabtagene Autoleucel is a BCMA-targeted autologous CAR-T product. It is the fifth approved CAR-T cell therapy in China, following Axicabtagene Ciloleucel from Fosun Kite, Relmacabtagene Autoleucel Injection from WuXi Juno, Equecabtagene Autoleucel from SinoMab and Gracell Biotechnologies, and Inaticabtagene Autoleucel Injection from Genskey Biopharma.
CAR-T cell therapies are generally priced in the millions of yuan. Genskey Biopharma’s Inaticabtagene Autoleucel Injection was reportedly priced below 1 million yuan at 999,000 yuan. The first approved CAR-T cell therapy in China, Fosun Kite’s Axicabtagene Ciloleucel, was priced at around 1.2 million yuan. In comparison, the price of Keymed Biosciences’ product has not been further reduced and remains above 1 million yuan.
The approved indication for Keymed Biosciences’ CAR-T cell therapy is multiple myeloma, which, according to the company, is a difficult-to-treat malignant plasma cell disorder accounting for approximately 10% of all hematological malignancies. As China’s population ages and life expectancy increases, the number of patients with multiple myeloma will continue to rise. According to Frost and Sullivan estimates, in 2023, the number of multiple myeloma patients in China will be approximately 153,000, with 23,200 new cases. It is projected that the number of multiple myeloma patients in China will increase to 266,300 by 2030.
Keymed Biosciences stated that based on the currently published clinical data, Sai Kaize demonstrates outstanding safety and efficacy for a BCMA-targeted CAR-T cell therapy. The company is also making efforts to help patients obtain support from government medical insurance and commercial insurance. They hope that in the future, there will be more ways to improve the accessibility of CAR-T cell therapies, making them affordable for more patients.
Reducing costs also requires the joint efforts of the entire industry. Only when the market grows larger and receives more support will costs naturally decrease. With continuous technological advancements and further cost reductions, CAR-T cell therapies are expected to bring more good news to cancer patients.