Hengrui Medicine receives approval for rheumatoid arthritis drug

Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine (SSE:600276) announced that it has received a drug registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration of China for its innovative drug, SHR0302 (sulfate emajacitinib tablets). The approval expands the drug's indication to include the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis who have shown inadequate response or intolerance to one or more TNF inhibitors. Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 0.42% of the population in Mainland China, equating to over 5 million people. According to the EvaluatePharma database, global sales of similar products reached approximately USD 8.114 billion in 2024. The cumulative R&D investment for the sulfate emajacitinib project is CNY 107.149 million. The company cautioned that production and sales of the drug are subject to various uncertainties.