Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that seriously affects the quality of life of patients – and the private Kiang Wu Hospital has introduced “Ensifentrine”, developed by Shanghai-based Nuance Pharma, as an alternative treatment for COPD patients, making it the first hospital in Asia to offer the medication.
Kiang Wu Hospital and Nuance Pharma held a signing ceremony for their cooperation agreement, along with the launch of the new COPD medication “Ensifentrine”, at the hospital’s Dr. Henry Y.T. Fok Specialist Medical Centre yesterday afternoon.
During the ceremony, Kiang Wu Hospital Charitable Association Vice President Ng Choi Kun said in a speech that as the population ages, the incidence of COPD has been rising annually, making it one of the most significant health threats to the community, adding that finding effective treatments for COPD and improving patients’ quality of life has long been a priority for both the medical profession and the community.
The hospital’s Principal Deputy Hospital Director Cheung Chun Wing cited statistics indicating that the prevalence of COPD among individuals aged over 40 in mainland China is as high as 13.7 percent, i.e., one in eight people in the age group is affected. In Macau, he added, according to the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEDC), chronic lower respiratory diseases rank as the eighth leading cause of death.
Both representatives from the hospital noted that the introduction of the drug and the signing of the cooperation agreement not only addressed the gap in targeted drug therapy for COPD in Macau, but also represented a significant milestone for Kiang Wu Hospital in incorporating advanced international medications, demonstrating the hospital’s commitment to providing better quality medical services to the public in Macau.
Nuance Pharma founder and CEO Mark Lotter briefed yesterday the ceremony attendees about the new drug “Ensifentrine”, emphasising its recent registration in mainland China and the completion of a successful Phase 3 study – a study that tests the safety and how well a new treatment works compared with a standard treatment – with over 500 patients: “We’ve seen very promising results on the product and understand the first patients who’ve been dosed in Macau as well… I think generally for the product, it is a first-in-class drug, the first one in more than 30 years to be introduced into COPD”.
Speaking to the Post on the sidelines of the ceremony, Lotter outlined the drug’s main differences based on its mechanism of action, highlighting its ability to function at three levels, namely, anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator and mucociliary function, all of which allow the drug to provide significant therapeutic effects in a single formulation, i.e., patients only need to take one medicine instead of multiple therapies.
He went on to say that the drug is currently approved for use in the US and Macau, making Macau the first region in China and Asia to utilise it, revealing his company’s plans to facilitate treatment for mainland Chinese patients by bringing them to Macau, while attracting patients from Hong Kong and mainland China to receive treatment in Macau.
Cheng Kun, associate director at the hospital’s Internal Medicine Department, said that the public was still not aware of the risk of COPD, taking Kiang Wu Hospital as an example by noting that there were 20 to 30 patients admitted to the hospital for acute exacerbation of COPD every month, and many of the patients did not receive proper diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Cheng pointed out that COPD is primarily an airway disease, and its medication differs to treatments for other chronic conditions in that the drugs are inhaled, emphasising that “Ensifentrine” has been clinically tested on 3,000 subjects, demonstrating safety and effectiveness by reducing the risk of acute exacerbation by over 40 percent. He told reporters that patients whose symptoms remain uncontrolled after initial treatment, or who experience worsening symptoms, can benefit from the new drugs to help minimise the risk of exacerbation.
Cheng Kun, associate director at Kiang Wu Hospital’s Internal Medicine Department, briefs fellow physicians and journalists about the newly-launched “Ensifentrine” COPD medication developed by Shanghai-based Nuance Pharma, during yesterday’s ceremony at the hospital. – Photo: Yuki Lei
