Benda Pharmaceutical, a Chinese pharmaceutical company that produces traditional Chinese and conventional medicines, as well as Gendicine, the world's first commercialized gene therapy medicine for cancer has said that its subsidiary SiBiono has developed an anti-AIDS gene therapy. This marks SiBiono's and Benda's anticipated entry into the $14 billion Chinese anti-AIDS drug market.
As part of the joint venture, DNAVEC will leverage SiBiono's gene therapy manufacturing platform and will transfer the exclusive development and distribution rights of SeV-Gag in China to SiBiono and it will be responsible for completing the preclinical tests, clinical trials and manufacturing tests of the SeV-Gag vaccine in China. SiBiono will also seek all related Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) approval. All scientific findings resulting from the development processes will be co-patented by both SiBiono and DNAVEC. SiBiono expects to obtain the required "New Drug Certificate" from the SFDA between 2012 and 2018.
A 2006 study conducted by the AIDS research center in Tsinghua University, China's leading scientific research institute, revealed that more than a million Chinese patients were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
With more government funding and increasing wealth, Chinese AIDS treatment costs are expected to rise in the coming years. But even at the current average annual cost of $1,400, the likely 10 million HIV infected patients by 2010 could create a $14 billion anti-AIDS drug market in China. Imported anti-AIDS drugs are often too expensive for typical Chinese patients, driving a need for innovative, affordable domestic drugs.