CMS International Development and Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMS, had secured an exclusive licence for the drug from Zydus in 2020. Desidustat, an oral Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor (HIF-PHI), promotes red blood cell production by boosting endogenous erythropoietin and improving iron availability, targeting anaemia in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients.
The drug is marketed in India under the brand name Oxemia, which has treated over 1 lakh (100,000) CKD patients since its 2022 launch. With an estimated 120 million CKD patients in China, there is significant unmet demand, particularly among non-dialysis patients, with only 8.2% achieving target haemoglobin levels.
Oral Desidustat is expected to improve compliance and address treatment gaps in CKD-related anaemia in China.
Speaking on the development, Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences, Dr. Sharvil P. Patel, said, “We are encouraged by the NMPA’s approval for marketing the drug in China. Our life-changing discoveries are driven by a commitment to improving patient outcomes globally. We are happy to partner with CMS and are confident it will expand access for CKD patients across Greater China.”
Zydus Lifesciences operates as an integrated pharmaceutical company across research, development, production, marketing, and distribution of pharmaceutical products.
The company’s consolidated net profit rose 7.7% to Rs 1,102.64 crore on a 32.3% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 6,780.40 crore in Q3 FY26 over Q3 FY25.
Shares of Zydus Lifesciences fell 1.94% to Rs 888.45 on the BSE.