SHENZHEN, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Splendris International Limited, an affiliate of Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd. (Salubris), a multi-national leader in the development and commercialization of cardiovascular products in China and beyond, today announced a strategic investment and in-licensing agreement with Swiss cardiovascular pioneer M.A. MedAlliance S.A. (MedAlliance). Under the terms of the agreement, Salubris will make a $20 million equity investment in MedAlliance and will commit an additional $10 million in developmental milestones in exchange for exclusive rights to develop and commercialize MedAlliance’s lead investigational product Selution, a potential best-in-class sirolimus micro-reservoir drug-coated balloon (DCB), for peripheral and cardiovascular applications in the Chinese market. MedAlliance will also be eligible for royalty payments on sales.
“Sirolimus’ combination of anti-restenotic and anti-inflammatory properties have been proven clearly superior to first-generation paclitaxel drug coatings on stents, but technical challenges have precluded the transposition of this evolution in stents to the drug-coated balloons used in reperfusion procedures,” said Kevin Ye, chief executive officer of Salubris. “MedAlliance has taken an innovative approach that is also rooted in clinical precedence. Salubris is pleased to support MedAlliance’s progress through this strategic investment, and we look forward to working together to commercialize the company’s technology for the benefit of the many millions of patients with coronary and peripheral artery disease in China.”
MedAlliance’s DCB technology is a next-generation approach for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary artery disease (CAD) and arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). With unique micro-reservoirs, the technology efficiently delivers sirolimus to the target lesion, where it provides controlled and sustained release. MedAlliance’s technology will further enable surgeons’ desire to move away from metal scaffolds and durable polymers that remain within the patient in PAD by providing a safer and more effective alternative to paclitaxel-coated balloons. Clinical data from a first-in-man study of MedAlliance’s DCB first presented at a medical meeting in January 2018 demonstrated one of the lowest rates of target lesion revascularization ever reported in a DCB first-in-man study at six months.
With MedAlliance, Salubris continues its global expansion outside of China through both strategic partnerships and R&D operations in the US at its subsidiary Salubris Biotherapeutics.
About MedAlliance
Founded in 2008, MedAlliance is a Swiss privately-owned medical technology company, with R&D facilities in Irvine, California and Singapore. A team of experienced professionals focused on patient benefit, with a recognized track record of success in the conception, development and commercialization of drug-eluting stents, balloons, polymers and drugs. The company is developing medical products for the treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease. For more information on MedAlliance, please visit http://www.ma-medalliance.com.
About Salubris
Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Salubris) is a publicly traded, fully integrated pharmaceutical company [002294:CH]. Founded in 1998, Salubris has grown to achieve sales of >$750M USD in 2017. Salubris is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and has over 3,800 employees working across R&D, regulatory, marketing and sales. Its marketed products include drugs and devices in the cardiovascular, oncology and anti-infective therapeutic areas.
