Benda Pharmaceutical, Inc (BPMA.OB), a China-based pharmaceutical company that produces traditional Chinese medicines, conventional medicines, as well as Gendicine (the world’s first commercialized gene therapy medicine for the treatment of cancer), announced today that its subsidiary “SiBiono” had made major strides in developing an anti-AIDS gene therapy. This breakthrough marks SiBiono’s and Benda’s anticipated intent to enter into the $14 billion Chinese anti-AIDS drug market.
SiBiono is acknowledged as the leading biopharmaceutical pioneer commercializing the first publicly available gene therapy treatment. In May 2007, Japanese gene therapy research institute DNAVEC formed a joint venture with SiBiono to develop the SeV-Gag vaccine. This vaccine is an anti-AIDS gene therapy treatment and was designed, constructed, and patented by DYNAVEC. However, because DNAVEC lacked the resources and experience to complete clinical trials and produce the drug on a commercial scale, SiBiono was called to aid the company.
Under the terms of this joint venture agreement, SiBiono 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.
“We deliberately selected SiBiono as our partner from hundreds of other leading biopharmaceutical firms because of its unparalleled expertise and technological superiority in developing, manufacturing and commercializing gene therapy treatments,” stated DNAVEC CEO Dr. Mamoru Hasegawa. “SiBiono’s demonstrated clinical success with Gendicine® is a feat no one else in the world has yet matched, and we firmly believe that the joint venture with SiBiono provides us the best opportunity to realize our dream and bring the SeV-Gag vaccine to market.”
Let us hear your thoughts below: