By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : March 15, 2026 7:48 am
Desidustat tablets are a novel oral HIF-PHI approved for treating anaemia in non-dialysis adult CKD patients
Zydus Lifesciences Limited (Zydus), an innovation-led global life sciences company, announced that its innovative drug Desidustat tablets, licensed to the subsidiary of China Medical System Holdings Limited, has been approved for renal anaemia in China by the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA). CMS International Development and Management Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMS had obtained an exclusive license for the drug from Zydus in 2020.
Desidustat tablets are administered orally and represent a novel, oral Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor (HIF-PHI) for treating anaemia in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients. CKD involves the gradual loss of kidney function and eventually leads to kidney failure. Healthy kidneys naturally secrete a hormone called Erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates red blood cell production, also known as erythropoiesis. When kidneys are impaired in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, EPO production is reduced, leading to the development of anaemia. HIF-PHI promotes erythropoiesis by increasing endogenous erythropoietin, reducing hepcidin thereby improving iron availability.
Speaking on the development, Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences Limited, Dr. Sharvil P. Patel said, “We are encouraged by the NMPA’s approval for marketing the drug in China. Our life-changing discoveries are driven by a commitment to improving patient outcomes and enabling healthier, more fulfilled lives, globally. We are happy to partner with CMS and are confident that this will expand access to patients suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease across Greater China.”
Desidustat is discovered, developed and marketed by Zydus in India under the brand name Oxemia. More than 1 lac CKD patients in India have been successfully treated with Oxemia™ since its launch in 2022.
There is still a large unmet need in the treatment of anaemia in CKD patients in China. It is estimated that there are more than 120 million CKD patients in China. Anaemia is one of the frequent complications of CKD, and its incidence increases progressively with disease progression.
A survey in China showed that the prevalence of anaemia in patients at CKD stage 1 to 5 was 22.0%, 37.0%, 45.4%, 85.1%, and 98.2%, respectively. The target achievement rate (the Hb level reaching the target value of 110~120 g/L) for haemodialysis CKD patients with anaemia has increased to 51.5%, but is still only 8.2% for anaemia patients in non-dialysis CKD.The Product is administered orally, and is thus expected to improve the treatment compliance of patients and to meet the unmet treatment needs in the field of CKD anaemia.