CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative drug candidates to treat underserved medical conditions in China and other markets, and GC Pharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation), has announced an exclusive licensing agreement in the greater China area to commercialize Hunterase™, a human recombinant iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Hunter syndrome. Developed by GC Pharma, Hunterase is marketed in more than ten countries worldwide. There is no approved treatment for Hunter syndrome in China, unlike in some parts of the world.

“Hunterase is the first rare disease drug CANbridge will commercialize in China,” said James Xue, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO, CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. “Our corporate mission is to develop and commercialize treatments for rare diseases in China. We are encouraged that recent regulatory reforms in China could provide patients with access to these much-needed therapies more quickly. Like so many rare diseases, there is no treatment for Hunter syndrome in China, short of palliative care. We look forward to the possibility of bringing this important treatment option to Hunter syndrome patients and their families.”

“We are delighted to further enhance the value of Hunterase through this partnership,” said Eun Chul Huh, Ph.D., President GC Pharma. “Our ultimate goal is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those with Hunter syndrome in all markets. With an established team in China, CANbridge is the ideal partner to reach this important and large market.”

Hunter syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis type II) is an inherited lysosomal storage disease that occurs primarily in boys. It causes an enzyme deficiency that interferes with the body’s ability to break down certain complex sugars, resulting in serious skeletal, tissue, neurological and multi-organ complications and, ultimately, death. It occurs in approximately 1.3 out of 100,000 male newborns. There is no cure. The standard treatments are enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) or palliative care. Mucopolysaccharidosis is one of the 121 diseases on the China Rare Disease List recently published by the Chinese government.