For a Chinese domestically developed, first-in-class, topical non-steroidal treatment, and the first new drug for plaque psoriasis in 25 years, benvitimod - also known as tapinarof and WBI-1001 - encountered a surprisingly uphill battle to gain commercial success on its home turf. Meanwhile, its overseas counterpart has attracted large investment and enjoyed considerably more success.
Receiving its first approval globally from China's National Medical Products Administration in 2019, the therapeutic aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) modulating agent was originally developed by a team including the founder...
Key Takeaways
-
There’s much more to commercial success in China than just approval and launch; reimbursement is only among the first steps.
...