The first anticancer new drug Aitan (Apatinib) wholly independently researched and developed by China was put into the market on December 13, which is the sole oral preparation in the targeted drugs for advanced gastric cancer and can obviously prolong the survival time of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Meanwhile, Aitan is also the first micromolecule anti-angiogenesis targeted drug proven to be safe and effective after failure of standard chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. The successful R&D of the drug marks that Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises have stepped on the strategic large-scale development road from "imitation" to "innovation" and helps drive China's transition from "major pharmaceutical country" to "pharmaceutical power".
As one major new drug special development project of "the 11th Five-Year Plan" and "the 12th Five-Year Plan" of China, Aitan is researched and developed and produced by Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd. Phase III clinical trial of advanced gastric cancer further proved the effectiveness and safety of the drug in treating patients with advanced gastric cancer. 31# patient with advanced gastric cancer in phase III study has survived for 44 months by taking the drug. Meanwhile, as an oral drug, Aitan is easy to apply, helps improve patient compliance and greatly reduces treatment cost.
Qin Huaijin, Director General of Department of Health Science, Technology, and Education, National Health and Family Planning Commission, P.R.C., expressed that Chinese national pharmaceutical enterprises were walking on the road of scientific research innovation and had obtained certain achievements.
