SEATTLE & BASEL & BEIJING & CAMBRIDGE -- The Max Foundation (Max), a global nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity by delivering medication, technology, and supportive services to patients worldwide, BeiGene, a global oncology company, and the BeiGene Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation, today announced that the first doses of BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) have been administered for the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to patients in Armenia and Nepal, as part of a three-year collaboration to provide access to the medicine in 29 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

“We are thrilled to share that the first group of people diagnosed with CLL in Armenia and Nepal have received treatment free of charge through our collaboration with BeiGene and the BeiGene Foundation,” said Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO of Max. “BeiGene has demonstrated that it is possible for companies to provide access to innovative treatments to regions in the world where access is limited or unavailable during the same year a drug receives approval in the U.S. We look forward to working together to expand access to this much-needed treatment to more patients.”

Last year, BeiGene joined Max’s Humanitarian Partnership for Access to Cancer Treatments (Humanitarian PACT), a collaboration among professional, nonprofit, and commercial organizations that share the commitment to increase global access to treatment, care, and support for people living with cancer. As a member of the Humanitarian PACT, BeiGene provided a monetary grant through the BeiGene Foundation and is providing BRUKINSA free of charge for eligible patients in a number of low- and middle-income countries.

“BeiGene and Max share a commitment to advance global health equity and ensure that patients in underserved regions have access to the best possible cancer care. The administration of the first doses of BRUKINSA to patients with CLL in Armenia and Nepal under our collaboration with Max and the BeiGene Foundation represents a crucial step in achieving this mission,” said John V. Oyler, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at BeiGene. “We are honored to participate in this worthy collaboration and support Max’s efforts to deliver innovative cancer medicines to patients in need around the world.”

“For many years, the treatment of blood cancer, particularly CLL, has posed and continues to pose a significant challenge in Armenia. New medicines and treatments have simply not been accessible to those in need,” said Karen Meliksetyan, M.D., Head of Bone Marrow Transplant Department, Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center, Yerevan, Armenia. “The donation of BRUKINSA presents a tremendous opportunity for our patients to access treatment and will have a positive impact on many patients.”

CLL is the most common leukemia in adults, accounting for about one third of new cases of leukemia worldwide[i]. BeiGene and Max aim to provide access to CLL treatment to patients in need in 29 low- and middle-income countries. In each country, verified physicians within Max’s network will submit a request for treatment to Max for patients who are under their care and are candidates for BRUKINSA. Upon patient identity verification and CLL diagnosis confirmation, Max will deliver the treatment directly to the health institution providing care to the patient through well-established supply chains.