China has become the first country to approve a cutting-edge medicine for anemia, as Beijing pushes to expedite its drug-approval process.

This is reportedly the first time China has approved a treatment from an international drugmaker before any other country.

The drug, roxadustat, from AstraZeneca and Fibrogen China, treats anemia caused by chronic kidney disease in patients on dialysis.

AstraZeneca said it will manage the drug’s marketing in China, and FibroGen China will oversee its regulatory affairs. The drug is expected to launch in China during the second half of 2019.

AstraZeneca said around 120 million patients in China have anemia caused by chronic kidney disease, with an estimated 500,000 patients on dialysis because of the condition.