Zydus Lifesciences’ oral anaemia drug Desidustat wins China marketing nod

Key facts

• China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved Desidustat for renal anaemia in adult chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients not on dialysis.
• Zydus licensed the drug to CMS International Development and Management Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Medical System Holdings, in 2020.
• Desidustat is an oral Hypoxia-Inducible Factor–Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor (HIF-PHI) that boosts endogenous erythropoietin and improves iron availability.
• China has over 120 million CKD patients; anaemia prevalence rises from 22% in CKD stage 1 to 98.2% in stage 5.
• Phase III trials in China met the primary efficacy endpoint and showed long-term haemoglobin maintenance with acceptable safety.
• Desidustat is marketed in India under the brand Oxemia; more than 100,000 Indian CKD patients have used it since 2022.