Hexvix®, A Diagnostic Drug of Asieris, is Now Covered by the 2022 Lecheng Global Specialty Drug Insurance

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Sep 15, 2022, 05:07 ET

SHANGHAI, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asieris Pharmaceuticals (688176.SH), a global biopharma company specializing in discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs for the treatment of genitourinary tumors and other related diseases, announced today that Hexvix^®, a drug used for bladder cancer diagnosis, has been included in the 2022 edition of the Lecheng Global Specialty Drug Insurance Specialty Drug List.

Lecheng Global Specialty Drug Insurance is an inclusive supplementary commercial medical insurance policy jointly underwritten by a number of well-known domestic insurance companies and supervised by the Hainan Office of China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission under the guidance of the Bo'ao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration and the Medical Security Bureau of Hainan Province. With a drug list covering 40 specialty drugs on the market in China and 60 overseas specialty drugs, the policy is designed to boost the development of a multi-tiered medical security system in Hainan by strengthening its efficient combination and coordination with basic medical insurance, critical illness insurance and medical aid policies, so as to effectively lighten the burden of medical care for the insured and further address people's diverse medical and health care needs on different levels.

Hexvix^® has been approved in the United States and many European countries. The combined use of Hexvix^® and blue light cystoscopy (BLC) for the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has been included in the global expert consensus guidelines and Chinese Urological Association Guideline.

In January 2021, Asieris entered into a license agreement with Photocure ASA (Photocure, OSE:PHO), a bladder cancer specialty company based in Oslo, Norway, to obtain the exclusive registration and commercialization rights of Hexvix^® in mainland China and Taiwan.

In December 2021, Hexvix^® was put into pilot use in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province and the first prescription in China was issued at Hainan General Hospital, with the first patient operated successfully. It received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for phase III clinical trials in the first quarter of 2022 and was included in the real-world clinical data pilot program.

"The inclusion of Hexvix® in Lecheng Global Specialty Drug Insurance is a positive attempt by Asieris Pharmaceuticals to explore an innovative payment model, aiming to allow Chinese bladder cancer patients earlier access to cutting-edge international diagnosis and treatment methods, and reduce the pressure of out-of-pocket payment. This payment model serves as a strong supplement to the company's commitment to building an integrated closed-loop ecosystem for bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment. And we will continue to promote the launch of and access to advanced and innovative drugs and medical devices for the greatest benefit of bladder cancer patients in China," said Mr. Xinming Jiang, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Asieris.

About Asieris

Asieris Pharmaceuticals(688176.SH), founded in March 2010, is a global biopharma company specializing in discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs for the treatment of genitourinary tumors and other related diseases. We strive to improve human health and help people live a more dignified life. We aim to become a global pharma leader that integrates R&D, manufacturing and commercialization in our areas of focus, as we provide best-in-class integrated diagnosis and treatment solutions for patients in China and worldwide.

The company has been developing its proprietary R&D platform and core technologies, exploring new mechanisms of action, and efficiently screening and evaluating drug candidates. With a well-established in-house R&D system and expertise in global drug development, Asieris is committed to launching first-in-class drugs and other innovative products to address huge unmet needs in its areas of focus.

Asieris is also enhancing its pipeline for genitourinary diseases via proprietary R&D and strategic partnerships, while closely following cutting-edge technologies and therapeutics. The company strives to discover and identify unmet clinical needs, and adopts a forward-looking approach in product planning and life-cycle management. We aim to establish an outstanding portfolio that covers diagnosis and treatment in a bid to benefit more patients in China and globally.

SOURCE Asieris