Zai Lab Announces Updates to China’s National Reimbursement Drug List

Key Terms

national reimbursement drug list regulatory

A national reimbursement drug list is an official list of medicines that a country's public health system agrees to pay for, fully or in part, so patients pay little or nothing. Think of it like a government-approved shopping list that makes certain drugs affordable and widely available; inclusion usually boosts a drug’s sales and predictable pricing, while exclusion can limit market access and revenue, making it a key factor for investors assessing a drug maker’s future earnings.

generalized myasthenia gravis medical

A chronic neurological condition in which the immune system disrupts the chemical signals between nerves and muscles, causing muscle weakness that typically fluctuates and worsens with activity. Think of it as a faulty light switch or loose wiring that prevents muscles from responding reliably; severity and daily variability make treatment and long-term management important. For investors, the condition matters because it defines patient need, market size, and demand for approved therapies, clinical trial outcomes, and reimbursement decisions that drive company valuation.

community-acquired bacterial pneumonia medical

A lung infection caused by bacteria that a person catches outside of hospitals or long-term care settings, often presenting with cough, fever and difficulty breathing. For investors, it matters because its incidence drives demand for antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostic tests and hospital services, shapes clinical trial markets and influences regulatory and reimbursement decisions—similar to how seasonal demand affects sales for a common consumer product.

acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections medical

Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections are sudden-onset bacterial infections that attack the skin and underlying soft tissues — examples include cellulitis, wound infections and large abscesses — and often require antibiotics, drains or hospital care. Investors care because these infections drive ongoing demand for effective drugs and medical services, shape clinical trial and approval pathways for new therapies, and can quickly shift health-care costs and revenue potential much like fixing a small leak before it becomes major damage.

SHANGHAI & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) today announced that the following medicines and indications have been renewed in the 2025 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) released by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA):

• VYVGART® (efgartigimod alfa injection) is renewed for the treatment of adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive;
• NUZYRA® (omadacycline) is renewed for its oral formulation for the treatment of adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI); and
• ZEJULA® (niraparib) is renewed for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with platinum-sensitive, first-line and recurrent ovarian cancer.

“The successful renewal of VYVGART®, NUZYRA® and ZEJULA® reflects the continued recognition of their strong clinical value. We are pleased to now have six products included on the NRDL, which reduces the disease burden on patients by enabling broad patient access to high-quality, novel medicines. We thank the NHSA for their ongoing support for the innovation in China and its efforts to include more new and effective drugs in the NRDL. Zai Lab will continue to enhance the accessibility and affordability of our medicines so that patients in need can benefit from innovative therapies as early as possible,” said Andrew Zhu, Chief Commercial Officer of Zai Lab in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (Greater China).

About Myasthenia Gravis in China
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disease, characterized by debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. There are approximately 170,000 people in China living with gMG¹, and of those patients, 85% are estimated to have confirmed AChR antibodies; in this generalized form of the disease, skeletal muscles throughout the body may be affected, resulting in weakness and early fatigue. Difficulties with double vision, facial expression, speech, swallowing, and ambulation are frequent and difficult to manage for patients and treating physicians. In more life-threatening cases, gMG can affect the muscles responsible for breathing, which can be fatal. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, steroids, immunosuppressants, and IVIg are the mainstay of treatment in China. These drugs often achieve only partial restoration of strength.

About VYVGART (efgartigimod alfa injection)
VYVGART is an antibody fragment designed to reduce disease-causing immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and block the IgG recycling process. Efgartigimod binds to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), which is widely expressed throughout the body and plays a central role in rescuing IgG antibodies from degradation.

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved VYVGART as an add on to standard therapy for the treatment of adult patients with gMG who are anti-AChR antibody positive in June 2023. VYVGART is the first approved FcRn blocker in China. We commercially launched VYVGART in China in September 2023.

Zai Lab has an exclusive license from argenx to develop and commercialize efgartigimod in Greater China.

About CABP and ABSSSI in China
CABP is the most common type of pneumonia that is acquired outside of the hospital. It is one of the most common infectious diseases and is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide². ABSSSI are bacterial infections of skin and associated soft tissues, such as loose connective tissue and mucous membranes. ABSSSI are common and encompass a variety of disease presentations and degrees of severity. In 2020, the estimated incidence of CABP in mainland China was approximately 10 million patients³, and in 2015, the estimated incidence of ABSSSI was 2.8 million patients⁴. There are significant unmet needs for broad-spectrum antibiotics addressing multi-drug resistance infections with a favorable safety profile.

About NUZYRA
NUZYRA (omadacycline), a novel tetracycline-class antibacterial with both oral and IV formulations, is active across a broad spectrum of bacterial infections, such as those caused by Gram-positive, Gram-negative, atypical, and many other pathogens.

The NMPA approved NUZYRA as a Category 1 innovative drug for both oral and IV formulations for the treatment of CABP and ABSSSI in adult patients, and Zai Lab launched NUZYRA in mainland China for these indications in December 2021. It was first included in the NRDL for the treatment of adult patients with CABP and ABSSSI in January 2023 for its IV formulation and in January 2024 for its oral formulation. Zai Lab has an exclusive license from Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Novo Holdings A/S) to develop, manufacture, and commercialize NUZYRA in Greater China.

About Ovarian Cancer in China
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers in China, with over 55,000 newly diagnosed cases and 37,000 deaths in China annually⁵. While platinum-based chemotherapy is effective at inducing an initial response in ovarian cancer, the disease will recur in the majority of women. Effective treatment options for patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer remain limited. New agents that prolong the duration of response following first-line platinum-based treatment and delay the relapse of ovarian cancer will benefit patients with ovarian cancer in China.

About ZEJULA
ZEJULA (niraparib) is an oral, once-daily small-molecule poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1/2 inhibitor. A PARP inhibitor blocks the ability of cancer cells to repair themselves after they have been damaged by radiation and certain chemotherapies. This inhibition of DNA damage repair can result in the inability of cancer cells to replicate themselves and in programmed cell death. Tumors that are deficient in key DNA damage repair pathways, such as BRCA1 mutant tumors, are particularly sensitive to ZEJULA. As maintenance therapy, ZEJULA is for women who have had prior chemotherapy treatment but are at high risk of cancer recurrence. ZEJULA is intended to avoid or slow a recurrence of the cancer if it is in remission after prior treatment. In the maintenance setting, ZEJULA does not require the addition of radiation or chemotherapies to kill tumor cells.

ZEJULA was approved by the NMPA in September 2020 as a first-line monotherapy maintenance treatment for patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer (collectively, ovarian cancer) following a response to platinum-based chemotherapy and was included in the NRDL for these indications in December 2021.

Zai Lab has an exclusive license from GlaxoSmithKline to develop and commercialize ZEJULA in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

About Zai Lab
Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) is an innovative, research-based, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company based in China and the United States. We are focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative products that address medical conditions with significant unmet needs in the areas of oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and infectious disease. Our goal is to leverage our competencies and resources to positively impact human health.

For additional information about Zai Lab, please visit www.zailaboratory.com or follow us at https://x.com/ZaiLab_Global.

Zai Lab Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans, and prospects for Zai Lab, including, without limitation, statements relating to the benefits and potential of VYVGART (efgartigimod alfa injection), NUZYRA (omadacycline), and ZEJULA(niraparib) and the treatment of gMG, CAPB, ABSSSI and Ovarian Cancer in Greater China. These forward-looking statements may contain words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” and other similar expressions. Such statements constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact or guarantees or assurances of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on our expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including but not limited to (1) our ability to successfully commercialize and generate revenue from our approved products; (2) our ability to obtain funding for our operations and business initiatives, (3) the results of our clinical and pre-clinical development of our product candidates, (4) the content and timing of decisions made by the relevant regulatory authorities regarding regulatory approvals of our product candidates, (5) risks related to doing business in China, and (6) other factors identified in our most recent annual and quarterly reports and in other reports we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our expectations and assumptions to change, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Our SEC filings can be found on our website at www.zailaboratory.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

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1 HERR K, SP SHEN, LIU Y, et al. The growing burden of generalizedmyasthenia gravis: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan [J].Frontiers in Neurology, 2023.

2 Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2023,57(1) : 91-99. DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn112150-20220308-00214

3 Incidence of community-acquired pneumonia in urban China: Anational population-based study, 2020.

4 2015 estimates, Zai Lab analysis.

5 Globocan 2020.

 

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Source: Zai Lab Limited