Chi-Med scores a China first with approval of fruquintinib

Hutchison China MediTech Ltd. (LSE:HCM; NASDAQ:HCM) said China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved Elunate fruquintinib to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). According to Chi-Med, the drug is the first China-discovered and developed product for an oncology indication to receive unconditional approval based on a randomized clinical trial.

The drug, a small molecule inhibitor of VEGF receptors 1, 2 and 3, is indicated to treat mCRC patients who have failed at least two prior systemic antineoplastic therapies with or without prior use of anti-VEGF or anti-EGFR therapies...