BRIEF—Licensing deal in China for Toray's anti-itching drug Remitch

Tokyo-based Toray Industries and China’s 3SBio have agreed a licensing deal for the antipruritic drug Remitch (nalfurafine hydrochloride).

The agreement covers a particular oral disintegration tablet formulation, and gives 3SBio, through its subsidiary Hongkong Sansheng Medical, the exclusive right to develop and commercialize the therapy in China.

Toray will receive an initial payment and milestones, details of which were not disclosed.

The capsule form of Remitch has been sold in Japan since 2009 to treat hemodialysis-related uremic pruritus. The oral disintegration tablet was approved and launched in Japan in 2017.