BRIEF — Further approval for Humira usage in Japan

AbbVie and Eisai have announced another ruling in favour of Humira (adalimumab) from Japanese regulators following encouraging results in the drug's Phase III trial.

This is the 10th indication in which Humira has been approved in Japan.

The decision means that patients in Japan suffering from pustular psoriasis, who have not responded to conventional therapies, will be allowed to use the monoclonal antibody to combat their symptoms.

"More than one million patients have been already treated with Humira in more than 100 countries," said James Feliciano, president of AbbVie Japan. "This is the 10th indication of Humira approved on the 10th anniversary of its first launch in Japan.

"We continue to contribute to patients living with inflammatory autoimmune diseases by pursuing new discoveries and better outcomes that go beyond current standards of care."

The Japanese government has labelled pustular psoriasis an "intractable disease" in the past, and the thought persists that not enough is being done to tackle the issue.

"Further progress is needed considering severity of the disease," commented Hidemi Nakagawa, chair of the Dermatology Department at Jikei University School of Medicine.

He added: "The approval of this indication for Humira has been highly anticipated by healthcare professionals as well as patients."