Everest Medicines (HKEX 1952.HK, 'Everest', or the 'Company'), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative therapeutics, today announced that with the official implementation of the latest update of the National Reimbursement Drug List ("NRDL") on January 1, 2025, NEFECON(R) will apply the NRDL pricing, which will benefit more IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients.

NEFECON(R) was included in the NRDL in November 2024. As the first IgAN etiological treatment drug fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), NEFECON(R) received NDA approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China in November 2023 through Priority Review. It is the only approved treatment for primary IgAN in adults at risk of disease progression in China.

Based on policies in various provinces and cities, NEFECON(R) will be eligible for NRDL reimbursement starting in January. Patients will be able to obtain the medication at designated medical institutions or pharmacies and benefit from the reimbursed pricing. The official implementation of the NRDL will expand the accessibility of NEFECON(R), alleviate the financial burden on patients, and enable more IgAN patients in China to benefit from this innovative drug.

Results from the Chinese population of the Phase 3 clinical study NefIgArd study shows that NEFECON(R) reduces kidney function decline by 66%, and delays disease progression to dialysis or kidney transplantation by 12.8 years. With its innovative mechanism of action and clinical advantages, NEFECON(R) has been recommended by several authoritative treatment guidelines. Most recently, it was included in the KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Immunoglobulin A Nephrophthy (IgAN) and Immunoglobulin A Vasculitis (IgAV) (Public Review Draft), issued by the kidney disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) organization.