First domestic company gets a first-in-class approval in China

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved in May an NDA from Beijing Wenfeng Tianji Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. (Beijing, China) for tapinarof (DMVT-505, WBI-1001, benvitimod) to treat mild to moderate stable psoriasis vulgaris. The product is a topical non-steroidal and non-immunosuppressive anti-inflammatory compound that modulates aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activity. The company's CEO and co-inventor of the compound, Genhui Chen, told BioCentury this is the first time NMPA has approved a first-in-class drug from a domestic company...