Chugai wins regulatory approval for Tecentriq for additional indication

Japanese drugmaker Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519) today announced gaining regulatory approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for the anti-cancer agent/humanized anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody Tecentriq intravenous infusion (atezolizumab) for an additional indication of unresectable alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Tecentriq is the first immune checkpoint inhibitor in Japan for the treatment of this disease, according to the company.

“We are very pleased that we can offer Tecentriq as a new treatment for unresectable alveolar soft part sarcoma in adults and children over 2 years. This very rare disease, which occurs most often in the adolescents and young adults (AYA) generation, is known to have a poor prognosis with no standard treatment if it becomes unresectable. We will continue our efforts to provide information on the proper use of Tecentriq in order to contribute to the patients with unresectable alveolar soft part sarcoma,” said Dr Osamu Okuda, president and chief executive of Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX).