Teva and Jiangsu Nhwa Forge Strategic Partnership to Promote Patient Access to AUSTEDO® in China
The partnership intends to increase patients’ access to Teva’s AUSTEDO, leveraging Nhwa’s leadership in China’s neuro-psychiatric health sector.
Teva Pharmaceutical Investments Singapore Pte Ltd (TPIS), a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) and Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (“Nhwa”) today announced it formed a partnership for the marketing and distribution of Teva’s AUSTEDO (deutetrabenazine) for the treatment of neurodegenerative and movement disorders - chorea associated with Huntington’s disease (HD) and tardive dyskinesia (TD) in adults. The partnership intends to increase patients’ access to Teva’s AUSTEDO, leveraging Nhwa’s leadership in China’s neuro-psychiatric health sector.
“Nhwa has deep neuro-psychiatry expertise and capabilities, from research and development to commercialization,” commented Theodor Wee, General Manager of Teva Greater China. “Together, we can promote cost-effective delivery of safe, quality medicines and contribute to the sustainability of China’s healthcare system.”
Huntington’s disease is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Chorea, one of the most striking physical manifestations of Huntington’s disease, is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary, random muscle movements. It is one of the main symptoms of the disease, occurring in up to 90% of adults living with Huntington’s disease1.
Tardive dyskinesia is another disorder that results in repetitive and uncontrollable movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk and extremities, affecting 20-50% of patients on long-term antipsychotic medication. For patients with schizophrenia, who are more likely to be treated with antipsychotic medication, the prevalence of TD in China is higher (36.0%~46.5% [234]), than the global average (25.3%5)..
“As the first deuterated drug approved in China, AUSTEDO offers an innovative treatment for chorea associated with Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia in adults—debilitating disorders that directly impact daily function and quality of life,” added Sun Jiaquan, President and CEO of Nhwa.
In a deuterated drug, hydrogen atoms are replaced with deuterium, which may significantly lower metabolism rates. The deuterium technology used in AUSTEDO allows less frequent dosing for patients.
“We are committed to addressing the pressing needs of patients in China with more innovative medicines, in line with our commitment throughout our International Markets region and across the globe,” said Mark Sabag, EVP and Head of International Markets at Teva. “This partnership assists us with further growing AUSTEDO as a global leading brand, with over $1.2 billion in revenues in 2023, and to deliver on Teva’s Pivot to Growth strategy and providing better health for our patients.”
About AUSTEDO
AUSTEDO is the first and only vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in adults for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) and for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease (HD).
About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) is a global pharmaceutical leader with a category-defying portfolio, harnessing our generics expertise and stepping up innovation to continue the momentum behind the discovery, delivery, and expanded development of modern medicine. For over 120 years, Teva's commitment to bettering health has never wavered. Today, the company’s global network of capabilities enables its ~37,000 employees across 58 markets to push the boundaries of scientific innovation and deliver quality medicines to help improve health outcomes of millions of patients every day. To learn more about how Teva is all in for better health, visit www.tevapharm.com.
About Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical
Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., founded in 1978, is a leading CNS company in China. Over the past 40 years, Nhwa is exclusively dedicated to developing innovative and differentiated pipeline in the areas of anesthesia, analgesia, psychiatry and neurology via in-house R&D and global partnership.
As a fully integrated pharmaceutical company with more than 4000 employees, Nhwa has comprehensive capabilities in research, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of CNS drugs. In recent years, Nhwa has further strengthened its leadership in CNS field in China by providing the services of precision diagnosis of CNS disorders (Shanghai N-yuen Biotechnology Company), and investing the largest Chinese CNS internet health platform (Happy Mood).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “target,” “may,” “project,” “guidance,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe” and other words and terms of similar meaning and expression in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to successfully commercialize AUSTEDO in China and globally; our strategic partnership with Jiangsu Nhwa; our ability to successfully compete in the marketplace including our ability to develop and commercialize additional pharmaceutical products; our ability to successfully execute our Pivot to Growth strategy, including to expand our innovative and biosimilar medicines pipeline and profitably commercialize the innovative medicines and biosimilar portfolio, whether organically or through business development, and to sustain and focus our portfolio of generics medicines; and other factors discussed in this press release, and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, including in the sections captioned "Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Statements.” Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
1 Haddad MS, Cummings JL. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1997;20:791–807
2 Hui L, et al. Schizophr Res. 2017 Apr;182:104-109.
3 Uludag K, et al. Asian J Psychiatr. 2021 Dec;66:102877.
4 Liang Q, et al. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 Jul;151:181-187.
5 Carbon M, et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017 Mar;78(3):e264-e278
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