BRIEF—AstraZeneca expands global rare disease footprint in China

UK pharma major AstraZeneca says its rare diseases business Alexion is expanding its presence in Asia, announcing the availability in China of Soliris (eculizumab) for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) in adults and children.

In addition, AstraZeneca said that the National Medicine Products Administration of China (NMPA) has accepted its supplementary application for Soliris for the treatment of adults with refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in patients who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AchR) antibody positive.

The NMPA has also granted AstraZeneca approval to start ongoing, global clinical trials in China for investigational therapies being evaluated for the treatment of lupus nephritis (LN), immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and light chain (AL) amyloidosis.