Merck's new generation of antifungal drug Posaconazole inJ has been launched in China

On December 21, 2022, Merck announced that its antifungal drug Nocofei ® (Posaconazole) injection form was officially launched in China for the prevention of invasive aspergillus and candida infections and the treatment of invasive aspergillus [1].

So far, Nocofei ® oral suspension, enteric-coated tablets and injection three forms have been approved for market in China. Posaconazole oral suspension can be used to prevent invasive aspergillus and candida infection and to treat oropharyngeal candidiasis, posaconazole enteric-coated tablets and posaconazole injection can be used to prevent invasive aspergillus and candida infection and to treat invasive aspergillus.

Anna Tian, Senior Vice President of Merck & Co., LTD., and President of Merck & Co., LTD. China, said, "The launch of the new injection formulations expands the portfolio of Nocofei ® formulations in China, which will better help doctors flexibly meet the medical needs of different patients, from prevention to treatment, and help clinicians develop one-stop fungal infection management solutions." As one of the global leaders in the field of anti-infective diseases, Merck will continue to actively address the serious challenges of infectious diseases, continue to promote drug innovation, and quickly introduce more rich and cutting-edge disease solutions to meet the diverse medical needs of patients in China.

In recent years, with the extensive application of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs, tumor chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cells and solid organ transplantation with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, invasive mycosis is on the rise. Invasive mycosis occurs in hematology, intensive care unit (ICU), transplantation, and respiratory and infection treatment areas. High-risk groups include patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, patients with structural lung disease or concurrent influenza, critically ill patients in ICU, and patients with tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy and other immunocompromised patients. At present, the most common invasive fungal diseases in clinical practice include candidiasis and Aspergillus disease, with mortality rates up to 40% and 80%, respectively, which have become a global public health problem.

Professor Wang Minggui, Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, said that in China, invasive fungal diseases also face great challenges in clinical treatment [4] and patients with poor prognosis [6]. Posaconazole has become one of our weapons against fungal infections since it was launched in 2013. The launch of Posaconazole injection will provide more choices of dosage forms for the clinic, provide a new treatment plan for patients who are not suitable for oral administration, and help the clinic to deal with the complex and severe fungal infection challenge more systematically.