Sanofi returns to CIIE with increased focus in type 1 diabetes

Medical experts have called for more action and attention on the early detection, diagnosis, and early intervention of and for type 1 diabetes, and the CIIE has been an important platform to direct wider attention and action towards patients' quality of life.

The booth of France's largest healthcare company, Sanofi, showcases the innovative treatment Tzield, the world's first and only disease modifying therapy to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes and preserve beta-cell function.

The official launch and commercialisation process of Sanofi's Tzield has progressed significantly since its Asian debut at last year's CIIE.

It was approved for a pilot in Hainan's Bo'ao in June of this year, and also received priority review designation from the China National Medical Products Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation.

Oxana Monge, head of General Medicines at Sanofi China, said, "The CIIE is a great platform of innovation and collaboration for Sanofi to demonstrate cutting edge innovative capabilities, and foster dialogues and cooperation with our customers and partners that ultimately benefit Chinese patients."

Through the annual expo, the company looks forward to demonstrating innovation capabilities so patients are aware of the remarkable progression of science.

At the same time it seeks to foster collaborations and become deeply involved in the vibrant local innovation ecosystem in China to benefit patients with faster speeds and bigger scales.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects children aged 10 to 14 in China. Over the past 20 years, the incidence rate among those under 15 has nearly quadrupled, placing China fourth globally in terms of the number of patients.

The innovative treatment Tzield could impact the progression of type 1 diabetes, and could not only prolong the body's natural ability to produce its own insulin but also improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

With Sanofi's rich expertise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, and innovation breakthroughs in immunology, it will strengthen the company's commitment to accelerating first-in-class and best-in-class treatment solutions for both type 2 diabetes with a large population and type 1 diabetes with urgent unmet needs.

It plans to team up with multiple partners to promote the development of a diabetes diagnosis and treatment ecosystem, and fully support the "Healthy China 2030" initiative.

China has a rapidly-growing and diverse demand for healthcare, underscoring the importance of finding innovative treatments quickly to address the needs of the 140 million Chinese people living with diabetes, Monge added.

Weng Jianping, president of Anhui Medical University, said: "More attention should be paid to the patients' mental stress and the burdens for their family members, especially for children and juveniles. There has been limited public understanding of early detection for type 1 diabetes."

He also called for public education and advocacy for social inclusion, saying they were essential to create a supportive environment for patients.

Zhou Zhiguang, director of the National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, said that the presence of Tzield at the CIIE and widespread media coverage have raised public awareness and understanding of type 1 diabetes.

China's first Expert Consensus on the Detection, Monitoring, and Management of High-Risk Populations for Type 1 Diabetes will be released soon and further promote the standardization and adoption of early detection for diabetes in China, he added.

Last year, Sanofi also exhibited Rezurock, the first and only ROCK2-targeted immunomodulator for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), a life-threatening post-transplant complication. It was launched in China only four months after the CIIE to benefit Chinese patients.

Monge also said that over the past 40 years, the company has witnessed and participated in the remarkable growth of China, introducing over 60 innovative drugs and vaccines that address seven of China's top 10 leading causes of death.

In recent years, it has been accelerating the introduction of innovative products at an unprecedented "China speed," and Monge said the journey would continue.

"Moving forward, we are committed to not only accelerating products in immunology, including type 1 diabetes and transplants, but also contributing to the local ecosystem and modernizing the entire value chain, from R&D and manufacturing to supply and commercial, to benefit patients," she said.