The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that the company has signed an agreement with Merck Serono Co., Ltd. to launch INVOKANA® in Chinese mainland for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

INVOKANA® is the first type 2 diabetes medicine to be introduced by Janssen, and the agreement between Xian Janssen Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Merck will provide a new treatment option for patients to help manage their blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the body’s ability to metabolize sugar and is characterized by the inability of pancreatic beta cell function to keep up with the body’s demand for insulin.

In China, about 10.4% of adults have type 2 diabetes, which if left untreated can result in long term damage to various organs and tissues, leading to serious conditions such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Nearly half of adults with the disease do not achieve recommended levels of blood glucose control.

Through the collaboration, Xian Janssen has granted Merck the exclusive rights to promote INVOKANA® in China, and the two companies will work closely together on future development, distribution, promotion, marketing and sales of INVOKANA® in the country.

By leveraging Merck’s strong expertise in diabetes and its mature product portfolio, the collaboration will help ensure broad availability of INVOKANA® for Chinese patients.

INVOKANA® is a member of a novel class of drugs known as sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and was approved in China in September 2017.

"Xi'an Janssen is committed to bringing our portfolio of innovative medicines to China," said Asgar Rangoonwala, President of Xi'an Janssen Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

"Type 2 diabetes has a significant impact on the lives of millions of patients in China and innovative new treatments are needed to help them better manage their disease. At Janssen we like to say that we collaborate with the world for the health of everyone in it, and this agreement is an example of that, helping us ensure broad availability of INVOKANA®," he said.