Glenmark Specialty S.A., a subsidiary of Indian firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has announced an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with BeiGene, a global oncology company. Under this agreement, Glenmark will register and commercialise BeiGene's oncology medicines, Tislelizumab and Zanubrutinib in India.

Speaking on this partnership, Alok Malik, President and Business Head - India Formulations, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said, "The addition of Tislelizumab and Zanubrutinib to our oncology portfolio underscores our dedication to the cancer patients' community and our commitment to provide access to novel therapies across India"

"This collaboration is a testament to our shared vision of enhancing healthcare access across Asia," said Adam Roach, Vice President, and Head of Asia-Pacific at BeiGene. 

Recent statistics indicate that India has the third highest number of cancer cases worldwide, with predictions suggesting this could reach 2.08 million cases by 2040, a 57.5 per cent increase from 2020. Currently, cancer claims approximately 900,000 lives annually in India.

While Tislelizumab is a uniquely designed humanized immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody with high affinity and binding specificity against PD-1, Zanubrutinib is a small molecule inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) designed to deliver complete and sustained inhibition of the BTK protein by optimizing bioavailability, half-life, and selectivity.