Japan approves Genzyme's Synvisc for osteoarthritis of the knee and grants reimbursement

There was some good news for troubled US biotech major Genzyme (Nasdaq: GENZ) which is hoping for an increased takeover offer from France’s Sanofi-Svenits, when it reveled yesterday that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved Synvisc (hylan G-F 20; 3 x 2 mL), indicated for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Reimbursement has been obtained and publicized by Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council.

Synvisc is already approved for marketing in the USA, where last year it generated sales of $329 million for Genzyme.

According to a recent Japanese epidemiological study (ROAD), nearly 30 million people in Japan have osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The existing viscosupplements on the market in Japan require a greater number of injections than Synvisc, and may offer a much shorter duration of pain relief. Synvisc, the first non-Japanese viscosupplement to be approved in the country, will be the only product to offer six months of OA knee pain relief with three injections. Genzyme plans to launch Synvisc in Japan by the end of this year.