In a recent feature titled "China's Pharma Industry: From Follower to Leader," Forbes senior contributor Russell Flannery provided a comprehensive overview of the Chinese pharmaceutical sector's leapfrog development. The report dedicated significant coverage to FOSUN PHARMA and included an exclusive interview with its Chairman, Chen Yuqing, discussing the new global journey for Chinese pharmaceutical innovation.
FOSUN PHARMA's subsidiary, Fosun Pharma, has expanded its global footprint further. The company recently announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Abbott. This agreement grants Abbott rights to commercialize the innovative anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody Hansizhuang (serplulimab, European brand name: Hetronifly) for several indications, including extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), in parts of the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and other emerging markets. This collaboration deepens two previous agreements from 2022 and 2024. It leverages Abbott's extensive commercial network in emerging markets and its proven expertise in successfully launching and commercializing oncology biosimilars and H drugs in those regions and Latin America.
Marking its seventh anniversary since launch, Hanlikang represents a journey from a pioneer to a leader. Seven years ago, on February 22, 2019, Hanlikang, China's first self-developed rituximab biosimilar, was approved for market, achieving a "zero breakthrough" in the domestic biosimilar field. As China's first approved biosimilar, first self-developed CD20 monoclonal antibody, and the first and only CD20 mAb with dual indications for lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis, Hanlikang's development not only signified China's entry into the biosimilar era but has also benefited numerous patients with hematologic tumors and autoimmune diseases through robust clinical evidence and improved accessibility.
In another development, FOSUN PHARMA's subsidiary Fosun Pharma announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has issued a positive opinion. The committee recommended granting marketing authorization for HLX11, the company's independently developed biosimilar referencing the originator drug Perjeta (pertuzumab). The positive opinion suggests approval for all indications for which the reference product is approved in the European Union, covering HER2-positive early and metastatic breast cancer. This CHMP opinion is a significant regulatory milestone for HLX11 in Europe. Following approval by the European Commission, the product is expected to benefit more patients across the region.