ALK's partner Torii files for Japanese approval of cedar SLIT-tablet

Danish allergy specialist ALK-Abello (OMX: ALK) says that its partner for Japan, Torii Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4551), has submitted a New Drug Application to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), for the Japanese cedar pollen sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet (SLIT-tablet; TO-206).

Jens Bager, ALK’s president and chief executive, said: “This regulatory submission in Japan adds further momentum to our strategy of transforming ALK from a largely European company to one with global reach. We await the outcome of the regulatory review process with interest and are confident that, if approved, this product will prove a valuable new treatment option to allergy doctors and patients in Japan.”

Japan is the world’s second largest market for allergy medicine after the USA. An estimated 25-35 million people suffer from allergy caused by Japanese cedar tree pollen or house dust mites. Japan has a higher level of diagnosed allergic rhinitis than anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, allergy immunotherapy is not yet widely used.