EVEREST MED (01952) has announced a commercial collaboration with Hainan Herui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. concerning Hainan Herui's budesonide enteric-coated capsules. This product received marketing approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in December 2025.

Under the terms of this agreement, Hainan Herui's budesonide enteric-coated capsules will be authorized for launch in the mainland China market, with EVEREST MED taking responsibility for their commercialization activities. The company will provide rigorous technical guidance and quality audits for Hainan Herui's production and supply processes.

This partnership is expected to enhance treatment options for patients by providing access to both Nefecon® and Hainan Herui's budesonide enteric-coated capsules. The collaboration is contingent upon the fulfillment of customary closing conditions before it becomes effective.

Nefecon® is an oral, targeted-release budesonide capsule designed as a mucosal immunomodulator that acts specifically in the intestines. It is formulated for patients with IgA nephropathy. Each capsule contains 4mg of budesonide. Utilizing a specialized dual delayed- and extended-release technology, the capsule's triple-coated pellets target the release of budesonide to mucosal B cells in the distal ileum, including Peyer's patches. These pellets provide a sustained, stable release, achieving high local concentrations throughout the target area. This mechanism works to reduce the production of galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1), which is implicated in triggering IgA nephropathy, thereby intervening at an upstream stage of the disease pathogenesis.

In June 2019, EVEREST MED entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Calliditas Therapeutics, granting the company rights to develop and commercialize Nefecon® in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore. This agreement was expanded in March 2022 to include South Korea within EVEREST MED's licensed territory.