AstraZeneca

The decision expands Imfinzi’s bladder cancer footprint beyond its earlier approval in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), where it is used with chemotherapy agents’ gemcitabine and cisplatin before surgery and as a monotherapy afterward.

Regulators approved the drug as an additional therapy for patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite using standard antihypertensive medicines.

NICE recommended Imfinzi for adults whose stomach cancer has not spread extensively and can be removed through surgery, including gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers that physicians frequently diagnose at advanced stages.

The new production hub will be located in the Lin-gang Special Area of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, where it will supply autologous CAR-T therapies to China and other Asian markets.

CSPC is expected to receive an additional USD3.5 billion if the programs successfully meet development and regulatory milestones, in addition to royalties from any drugs approved under the partnership.

The investment will enhance AstraZeneca’s existing manufacturing sites in Wuxi, Beijing, Qingdao, and Taizhou, which already serve patients in China and across 70 international markets.

The approval specifically targets patients who have already undergone one prior trastuzumab-based treatment regimen.

AbelZeta will receive up to USD630 million from AstraZeneca, with the payment structure including both upfront cash and milestone fees tied to the GPC3 program’s progress in China.

This initiative aligns with the Ministry’s National Cancer Plan 2023–2028 and represents a key step in advancing Lebanon’s cancer control strategy.