Shanghai-based Henlius, a biopharmaceutical company with a production base in Xuhui district, announced on July 31 that it had shipped its self-developed anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, Serplulimab, to the Indian market for the first time.

In India, the drug will be sold under the name Hetronifly.

Serplulimab is the first anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody approved globally for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).

It has received approval in roughly 40 countries and regions, reaching nearly half of the global population and benefiting over 110,000 patients.

The introduction of Serplulimab is a significant milestone in addressing India's considerable lung cancer burden. In 2022, India recorded over 81,000 new lung cancer cases and more than 75,000 deaths from the disease.

As the first and only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody available in India for first-line treatment of ES-SCLC, Serplulimab offers a new therapeutic option for local patients, potentially improving survival outcomes.

"Policy support for the biopharmaceutical industry in Shanghai's Xuhui district has been crucial for companies to establish a globally integrated research and development, production, and sales system," said Huang Wei, president of Henlius. "The successful completion of the first shipment to India highlights how the regional industrial ecosystem strengthens the globalization capabilities of enterprises."

Henlius has established a robust biopharmaceutical platform, with its commercial production base that holds Good Manufacturing Practice certifications from regulatory authorities in China, the European Union, and the United States.

The company currently has six approved products in China and four in international markets.

Source: Xuhui district government