Antibiotics

After more than 5 years of monopoly by the originator drug, the import monopoly was broken with the launch of the first daptomycin generics by Huadong Medicine and Hisun Pharmaceutical in 2015. Subsequently, generic versions from Hengrui Medicine, Zhejiang Medicine, and others were launched. Currently, the daptomycin industry in China is characterized by a production landscape dominated by major enterprises such as NCPC, Zhejiang Medicine, Hisun Pharmaceutical, and Huadong Medicine, with the original Cubist drug holding a relatively small market share.

Caspofungin is an echinocandin antibiotic, a novel lipopeptide antifungal drug semi-synthesized from Pneumocandins B0, the fermentation product of the Glarea Lozoyensis strain. Caspofungin exerts its antifungal activity by inhibiting the synthesis of β(1,3)-D-glucan, an essential component of the cell wall of many filamentous fungi and yeasts.

Echinocandins are a new class of broad-spectrum antifungal drugs. Their mechanism of action involves inhibiting the biosynthesis of β-1,3-glucan in fungal cell walls (human cells lack cell walls), resulting in low toxicity to humans. They offer advantages including high selectivity, minimal adverse reactions, and excellent safety. Caspofungin was the first echinocandin antifungal drug to be marketed. It rapidly kills most Candida species and inhibits most Aspergillus species. Clinical data demonstrate that caspofungin has a broad antifungal spectrum, no cross-resistance, and a favorable safety profile. This product is expected to achieve import substitution, with promising market prospects.

Tacrolimus, also known as FK506, is a 23-membered macrolide antibiotic isolated from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces tsukubaensis No.9993 by Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in Japan. It is a potent new immunosuppressant with weak antifungal activity. By inhibiting the release of interleukin-2 (IL-2), it comprehensively suppresses T lymphocyte function, and is 100 times more potent than cyclosporine (CsA). In recent years, it has been launched in 14 countries including Japan and the United States as a first-line drug for liver and kidney transplantation.

Vancomycin, as the first glycopeptide antibacterial drug, is used to prevent and treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Its mechanism of action involves binding with high affinity to the terminal D-alanyl-D-alanine of the peptidoglycan precursor in the cell wall of susceptible bacteria, thereby blocking the synthesis of high-molecular-weight peptidoglycan that constitutes the bacterial cell wall, leading to cell wall defects and bacterial death. It is a first-line treatment for MRSA/MRCNS infections and is known as the "trump card antibiotic" and the "last line of defense" against drug-resistant bacteria.