Sanofi (SNY.US) announces that the second generation of myocardial sarcomere protein inhibitors have been approved for market in China.

On December 17, Sanofi (SNY.US) announced that the second-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor (CMI) Aficamten (Chinese brand name: Xingshuping) has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration for marketing. It is used to treat adult patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who are classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-III, in order to improve exercise capacity and symptoms. Aficamten is a small molecule cardiac myosin inhibitor developed independently by Cytokinetics. The drug improves the therapeutic index and pharmacokinetic characteristics through comprehensive chemical optimization, reducing the number of active myosin cross-bridges in each cardiac cycle to inhibit excessive myocardial contraction associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Additionally, its pharmacological properties give it a shorter half-life of only 3-4 days, reaching optimal dosage in 8 weeks. In 2020, Cytokinetics granted exclusive development and commercialization rights for Aficamten in the Greater China region to Ji Xing Pharmaceutical. In 2024, Sanofi acquired the exclusive development and commercialization rights for Aficamten in the Greater China region from Ji Xing Pharmaceutical. Aficamten tablets are considered a potential "best-in-class" treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This approval marks Aficamten as an innovative drug achieving a "global first launch" in China, with approval in China preceding other global countries and regions such as the United States and European Union.