- Innovative drug Methylthioninium Chloride Enteric-coated Sustained-release Tablets (Lumeblue®) is an oral diagnostic drug, approved by China’s NMPA for enhancing visualisation of colorectal lesions in adult patients undergoing screening or surveillance colonoscopy.
- The results of the Phase III clinical trial in China show that the Product can significantly improve the detection rate of non-polypoid colorectal lesions (the primary endpoint of the study), leading to an improved detection rate of dangerous lesions such as non-polypoid adenomas (the secondary endpoint).
- The Product can be taken during the bowel preparation step, ensuring that colorectal staining is completed by the time colonoscopy is conducted. This not only enhances the detection rate of colorectal lesions but also potentially simplifies the colonoscopy procedure, making the examination more efficient and improving the screening benefits.
- As of now, CMS’s newly launched innovative portfolio has been expanded to 5 products, continuously generating driving force to the Group’s sustainable and healthy development.
China Medical System Holdings Limited (the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group” or “CMS”) is pleased to announce that on 11 June 2024, the New Drug Application (NDA) of the Group’s innovative drug methylthioninium chloride enteric-coated sustained-release tablets (Lumeblue®) (the “Product”) has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA). The drug registration certificate was obtained on 18 June 2024. The Product is indicated to enhancing visualisation of colorectal lesions in adult patients undergoing screening or surveillance colonoscopy, and it is the first oral methylthioninium chloride enteric-coated sustained-release tablets in China. The Group will synergize with existing gastroenterology products and resources to advance the commercialization and academic promotion related works of the Product in an orderly manner, aiming to achieve nationwide large-scale clinical application as soon as possible so as to benefit patients with colorectal disease.
Lumeblue® is an oral diagnostic drug that uses patented multi-matrix (MMX) technology to deliver active substances directly to the colon and release them locally in a controlled manner. As an enhancer dye, the Product increases the contrast between colorectal lesions and healthy mucosa. The results of the Phase III clinical trial in China show that the Product can significantly improve the detection rate of non-polypoid colorectal lesions (the primary endpoint of the study), leading to an improved detection rate of dangerous lesions such as non-polypoid adenomas (the secondary endpoint)[1]. In addition, the Product can be taken during the bowel preparation step, ensuring that colorectal staining is completed by the time colonoscopy is conducted. This not only enhances the detection rate of colorectal lesions but also potentially simplifies the colonoscopy procedure, making the examination more efficient and improving the screening benefits.
According to the diagnosis and treatment data of the Digestive Endoscopy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, approximately a total of 28 million gastroenteroscopies were completed nationwide in 2012, including 5.83 million colonoscopies. In 2019, approximately 38.73 million gastroenteroscopies were completed nationwide, an increase of 34.62% compared with 2012[2]. The Chinese consensus of early colorectal cancer screening recommends that people aged 50 to 75 years old should be screened for colorectal cancer regardless of whether they have alarm symptoms[3]. There are approximately 400 million people aged 50 to 75 in China in 2020[4]. With the popularity of early screening for colorectal cancer in China, it is expected to witness a considerable growth of the number of colonoscopies in China in the future.
The Product has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to be commercialized in the European Union under the trade name Lumeblue™ in August 2020. The Group obtained an exclusive license for the Product from Cosmo Technologies Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals NV, on 3 December 2020.
Driven by the twin-wheel of “Collaborative R&D and Independent R&D”, CMS has continuously deployed global first-in-class (FIC) and best-in-class (BIC) innovative products guided by patient and clinical demands. With enhancing R&D capabilities in developing differentiated innovative products, CMS has empowered the continuous transformation of scientific research outcomes into clinical application, continuously releasing the value of innovation. As of now, CMS’s newly launched innovative portfolio has been expanded to 5 products, continuously generating driving force to the Group’s sustainable and healthy development. Desidustat Tablets and Methotrexate Injection (rheumatoid arthritis), CMS’s innovative pipeline products, are currently under NDA review in China. Meanwhile, over 10 innovative pipeline products are undergoing clinical trials in China, mainly randomized controlled trials (RCT). CMS is expected to launch differentiated innovative products every year in the future with higher efficiency and more controllable costs, continuing to optimize its product portfolio and build fresh driving forces for the mid- to long-term development of the Company.
Reference:
- The results of the Phase III clinical trial in China was published and can be found at: https://web.cms.net.cn/en/2022/12/positive-results-for-china-phase-iii-clinical-trial-of-methylthioninium-chloride-enteric-coated-sustained-release-tablets/
- The diagnosis and treatment data of the Digestive Endoscopy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association
- Chinese consensus of early colorectal cancer screening (2019, Shanghai)，Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine，DOI：3760/cma.j.issn.0578-1426.2019.10.004
- CHINA POPULATION CENSUS YEARBOOK 2020, can be found at： https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/7rp/zk/indexch.htm
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