Daiichi Sankyo debuts bone cancer drug Ranmark in Japan

Following National Health Insurance price listing yesterday, Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo (TYO: 4568) has launched Ranmark (denosumab), which was approved earlier this year for treatment for bone complications stemming from multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors.

Ranmark is the world’s first human monoclonal antibody to target RANK ligand. It was originated by US biotech giant Amgen, which markets denosumab as Xgeva and Prolia, and licensed to the Japanese firm in 2007. In Japan, the drug is the subject of a co-promotion agreement with Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN; The Pharma Letter May 24, 2011).

It has been shown that Ranmark suppresses the occurrence of SRE (skeletal-related events) in patients with bone complications stemming from multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors. With denosumab, Daiichi Sankyo says it aims to benefit patients, their families, and medical professionals by augmenting the few available therapeutic alternatives for treating bone disorders stemming from multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors with a new and effective treatment option.