Source: Science and Technology Daily Author: Yu Ziyue 2024-05-24
Many types of anti-cancer drugs continue to emerge, so that the survival rate of cancer patients has significantly improved. Behind the excellent results, it is inseparable from the unremitting efforts of China’s pharmaceutical research and development personnel and the increasing research and development investment in the field of biomedicine, and it is inseparable from the policy support of relevant departments of the Chinese government.
On April 23, the world’s first small molecule targeting drug for brain glioma, britinib, was approved by China’s Drug Administration; On January 2, the world’s first compound subcutaneous preparation of pertuzumab was approved for breast cancer indication; At the end of December last year, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma PD-1 inhibitor Tiralizumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and is expected to be listed in the second half of this year. In recent years, China’s anti-tumor drug research and development field of good news.
A variety of new anticancer drugs are emerging, which has significantly improved the survival rate of cancer patients. Behind the excellent results, it is inseparable from the unremitting efforts of China’s pharmaceutical research and development personnel and the increasing research and development investment in the field of biomedicine, and it is inseparable from the policy support of relevant departments of the Chinese government.
They are very successful
Tumor is one of the major public health problems in our country. According to the data on the burden of malignant tumor disease in China released by the National Cancer Center, there will be 4.824,700 new cancer cases in China in 2022.
Currently, cancer treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy and drug therapy. Conventional surgical resection is difficult to clear the tumor cells, so the tumor is prone to recurrence after surgery. When radiotherapy kills tumor cells, it also kills normal cells, causing great harm to patients. How to eliminate tumor cells while reducing normal cell damage? Anti-tumor drugs were entrusted with the task.
“Common antitumor agents include chemotherapy agents, targeted agents, immunotherapy agents and hormone therapy agents.” Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine affiliated Renji Hospital pharmacy junior pharmacist Wang Xin in an interview with science and Technology Daily reporter.
Conventional chemotherapy drugs are cytotoxic, recognizing fast-growing cells as cancer cells and destroying them. However, some normal cells in the body that divide at high speed, such as bone marrow cells and hair follicle cells, are therefore “affected”.
Traditional chemotherapy drugs that “hurt the enemy one thousand and self-damage eight hundred” have been criticized for a long time. In recent years, new dosage forms of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs have been modified by using technologies such as slow controlled release and nanomedicine delivery to improve drug efficacy and reduce damage to normal tissues.
Some people “new use of old drugs”, and some people “start from scratch” to study targeted drugs that can achieve precision strikes. Targeted drugs selectively interfere with excessive proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells through corresponding targets, which has the characteristics of high efficacy and small side effects. This is equivalent to putting a navigation system on the drug, turning it from a “charge” that can distinguish between enemy and us into a “biological missile” that can be accurately struck.
Immunotherapy drugs destroy tumor cells by activating or enhancing the body’s own immune system’s ability to attack the tumor. Such as the rising “star” in recent years – PD-1, PD-L1 and other immune checkpoint inhibitors, prostate vaccine, cervical cancer vaccine and other cancer vaccines, CAR T and other cell therapy products, interferon, interleukin and other cytokine therapy products.
Hormone therapy drugs inhibit hormone-sensitive tumor growth by regulating hormone levels or blocking hormone signaling. The anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen, for example, can be used to treat early and advanced breast cancer.
In short, with the continuous development of biomedical and nanomedicine technologies, the research and development and output of various anti-tumor drugs at home and abroad can be said to be flourishing. Jiang Jiandong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and pharmacologist, said at the National Health Commission news release that the major special project of new drug development has carried out a key layout in the research of malignant tumor drugs, which not only makes China make great progress in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, but also provides drugs with fewer side effects for tumor patients, and some innovative drugs have also expanded a new anti-cancer mechanism.
Put the growth track on fire
For a long time, the medical industry has been circulating the “double Ten” law of drug innovation – it takes ten years and costs one billion dollars. As the starting link of drug innovation, research and development investment directly affects the output of results. The road to innovation in anti-tumor drugs is more difficult and more “expensive”.
In recent years, China’s major pharmaceutical companies are increasing investment in research and development, and actively layout. According to the company’s annual report data, from 2018 to 2022, the R&D investment of pharmaceutical enterprises has increased year by year, and the total R&D investment of the pharmaceutical industry has exceeded 100 billion yuan for the first time in 2022, an increase of 14.66% year-on-year, and anti-tumor drugs occupy an important position.
Wang Hongguang, former director of the China Biotechnology Development Center and executive director of the China Strategy Center of Peking University, said that the research and development investment of listed enterprises in the pharmaceutical industry exceeded 100 billion yuan, which marked the historic leap of China’s drug innovation investment from no money, lack of money to rich; Second, it marks that China’s drug innovation ability is moving from the third camp to the second camp; Third, it marks the acceleration of China’s bioeconomic era.
At present, the anti-tumor drug research and development track continues to be hot. The “Annual Report on the Progress of Clinical Trials for New Drug Registration in China” and the “Drug Review Report” show that clinical applications for new drugs and new drug marketing applications in China are mainly distributed in the field of anti-tumor therapy.
In the past, expensive foreign anti-tumor drugs flooded major medical institutions in China. Nowadays, China’s original research drugs have also begun to “reverse attack”. In 2019, Zbrutinib, an anti-tumor BTK inhibitor independently developed by China, was approved for listing in the United States as a “breakthrough therapy”, and China’s original innovative drugs “went to sea” achieved “zero breakthrough”. In 2023, the first year of Chinese pharmaceutical companies “going to sea” is coming, and four Chinese original anti-tumor new drugs have been approved overseas.
Problem-oriented policy escort
The frequent representative achievements show China’s growing pharmaceutical innovation ability and investment level. At the same time, it is also necessary to see that there is still a gap between China and advanced countries in drug research and development technology, and efforts need to be made to make up for shortcomings. ‘China relies on imports for 90% of its large equipment for drug development,’ Mr. Wang said. China’s investment in new drug research and development is only about 1/10 of that of large foreign pharmaceutical companies.
In Wang Xin’s view, China’s innovation ability in anti-tumor drug research and development still needs to be improved, and scientific research investment needs to be increased; The quality and quantity of clinical trials are still insufficient, and the design and management of clinical trials should be strengthened. Drug prices and insurance coverage need to be further “close to the people”, to improve the medical insurance system, expand the coverage of drug insurance, reduce the cost of drugs for patients; The acceptance and recognition of the international market needs to be improved, and efforts should be made to strengthen brand building and market expansion.
“In this regard, China has continuously introduced institutional reform and optimized the policy system in recent years to escort innovation such as anti-tumor drugs.” Wang Xin said.
At present, the government is gradually increasing policy support and investment, through the national science and technology plan and other channels, to provide financial support for anti-tumor drug innovation and research and development. At the same time, the reform of the review and approval system for innovative drugs simplifies and accelerates the drug approval process, shortens the research and development and marketing time of anti-tumor drugs, and reduces the related research and development costs.
In addition, China’s new drug research and development environment has been continuously optimized. The government encourages scientific and technological innovation and industry-university-research cooperation, and R&D efficiency and results conversion rate have been significantly improved. The protection of intellectual property rights has been strengthened, and the enthusiasm of enterprises for innovation has been effectively mobilized. Technological innovation platforms and research bases are emerging to provide R&D facilities and technical support for enterprises and research institutions.
“Together, these policies and initiatives create an ecosystem that supports anti-tumor drug innovation and research and development, which will continue to promote the progress of anti-tumor drug research and development in China, enrich patient treatment options, and reduce treatment costs.” I believe that in the near future, China will steadily occupy a place in the global anti-tumor drug market.” Wang Xin said.
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