A summary of some of the biggest stories coming out of Japan’s pharma industry, including Teva’s divestment of joint venture Teva-Takeda; GE HealthCare’s takeover of Nihon Medi-Physics; Takeda’s blood cancer anemia drug licensing deal with Keros, and Astellas’ new cell therapy research site in Japan.
Pharma firm Teva to divest its business venture in Japan (Reuters)
WHO lists mpox vaccine by Japan’s KM Biologics for emergency use (Reuters)
Japan plans to allocate ¥100 billion to ensure stable drug supply (AJ Media)
Japan plans to allocate around 100 billion yen to ensure a stable supply of drugs, including generics, in a bid to strengthen international competitiveness in the field, government sources said.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration is willing to support companies implementing measures to boost the production of essential pharmaceuticals as well as promote collaboration and restructuring among related firms, the sources added.
GE HealthCare to take over Japanese radiopharmaceutical venture (Fierce Biotech)
GE HealthCare plans to take full control of Nihon Medi-Physics, maker of diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and molecular imaging agents.
The company had previously split ownership of the Tokyo-based nuclear medicine outfit down the middle with Sumitomo Chemical. Now, GE HealthCare plans to buy out the remaining 50% stake, with the deal set to close by the end of March 2025.
Nxera Pharma and Shionogi partner on Quviviq (The Pharma Letter)
Nxera Pharma has entered a new commercial partnership agreement with fellow Japanese drugmaker Shionogi regarding the distribution and sales for Quviviq (daridorexant 25 and 50mg) in Japan.
At the same time, the previous commercialization arrangement between Nxera and Mochida Pharmaceutical has been terminated. After negotiation between Shionogi and Mochida, Shionogi will be solely responsible for distribution and sales activities in Japan.
Takeda Puts Up to $1.3B on the Line for Keros’ Blood Cancer Anemia Drug (BioSpace)
Takeda Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday inked an exclusive licensing deal with Massachusetts-based biotech Keros Therapeutics to advance a potential competitor to Bristol Myers Squibb’s blockbuster injection Reblozyl (luspatercept).
At the center of Tuesday’s deal is Keros’ elritercept, a late-stage activin inhibitor being assessed for the treatment of anemia in patients with hematologic cancers such as myelofibrosis and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Elritercept previously won the FDA’s Fast Track designation for very low-, low- and intermediate-risk MDS.
Kura Oncology partners Kyowa Kirin to advance AML treatment (Pharmaceutical Technology)
Kura Oncology has partnered Kyowa Kirin in a strategic global collaboration to develop and commercialise oral ziftomenib, an investigational menin inhibitor, to treat acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and other haematologic malignancies.
Kura will receive a $330m upfront payment and up to $420m in near-term milestone payments, including when the therapy launches in the monotherapy relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting.
Japan’s Otsuka Pharma & ICU Medical sign $200 M deal to create joint venture in North America for manufacturing IV solutions (BioSpectrum Asia)
US-based ICU Medical, Inc., a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and sale of innovative medical devices, and Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc. (OPF), global IV solutions manufacturing subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., have together announced the creation of a joint venture to provide additional supply chain resiliency and innovation to the North American IV solutions market.
The joint venture brings together OPF’s expertise and global manufacturing scale, spanning 16 separate IV solutions production sites across Asia, with ICU Medical’s strong North American production and distribution in the same category.
Eisai and Biogen Japan collaborate to lead dementia genomics R&D with NCNP in Japan (BioSpectrum Asia)
Eisai Co., Ltd. and Biogen Japan Ltd. have announced that Eisai has entered into a research collaboration agreement with the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry to conduct apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic testing in the dementia research and development program, “Development and Analysis of a National Clinical Registry of Disease-Modifying Therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease” (“AD-DMT Registry”). The research will be implemented by the Japan Agency forMedical Research and Development (AMED), with NCNP as the lead research institution.
The APOE gene is known to be a risk factor for the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and is also associated with the frequency of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) in anti-amyloid β antibody treatments such as lecanemab (LEQEMBI).
Astellas unveils new Japan site for cell therapy research arm Universal Cells, transferring 12 roles overseas (Fierce Biotech)
Some six years after picking up Seattle’s Universal Cells for $102 million, Astellas Pharma is opening a second location for the subsidiary in its home country of Japan—and transferring a dozen roles along the way.
Universal Cells—which Astellas refers to as its cell therapy research organization—is establishing a second location overseas at the Japanese pharma’s research campus in Tsukuba, an Astellas spokesperson told Fierce Biotech over email.
