Jinxing Pharmaceuticals Partners with Sanofi for Exclusive Collaboration, Accelerating Aficamten’s Entry into Chinese Market

On December 20, Jinxing Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi officially announced a collaboration agreement, granting Sanofi exclusive rights to develop and commercialize aficamten in the Greater China region. The transaction is expected to be completed within 2024, though the specific amount has not been disclosed.

Global Frontline Cardiomyopathy Treatment Drug Set to Enter China

Aficamten is a next-generation selective small-molecule myosin inhibitor developed by Cytokinetics. As early as 2020, Jinxing Pharmaceuticals obtained exclusive development and commercialization rights for aficamten in the Greater China region.

In October this year, the new drug application (NDA) for aficamten tablets was accepted by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China and has been included in the priority review category, demonstrating significant advantages in treatment needs and innovation. Meanwhile, the FDA also accepted the NDA application for the drug in the U.S. market in December, with an expected approval decision by September 26, 2025.

Targeting Two Types of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Aficamten is primarily used to treat symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM), one of the most common hereditary cardiovascular diseases, clinically manifesting as myocardial hypertrophy leading to obstruction of cardiac blood flow. Notably, about two-thirds of HCM patients globally fall into the obstructive category, while non-obstructive HCM patients account for about one-third. Currently, the key phase III clinical trial for aficamten targeting non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM) called ACACIA-HCM is actively underway.

Huge Market Potential Awaiting Development

Despite limited early screening methods for HCM, resulting in many patients not being diagnosed promptly, the actual prevalence is estimated to be at least 1 in 200. With the acceleration of aficamten’s development and commercialization, this innovative therapy is expected to provide new treatment options for a large number of HCM patients in the Greater China region.
The collaboration between Sanofi and Jinxing Pharmaceuticals will expedite aficamten’s entry into the Chinese market, further enhancing the diagnosis and treatment levels for HCM, bringing tangible benefits to patients. This also highlights that the strategy of international pharmaceutical companies collaborating with local firms to develop innovative therapies is becoming an important model for promoting the treatment market for rare diseases in China.