BRIEF—Daiichi Sankyo's Minnebro approved in Japan

Shares in Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo edged up 1.02% to 3,564 yen today, after it announced the receipt of marketing approval in Japan for Minnebro (esaxerenone) tablets for the treatment of hypertension.

Minnebro is one of the compounds identified during the research collaboration with Exelixis, and has subsequently been developed by Daiichi Sankyo.

The application for approval was submitted in Japan in February 2018 on the basis of the results of a Phase III clinical trial conducted in Japan (ESAX-HTN study) in patients with essential hypertension.

Excessive mineralocorticoid receptor activation has been found to be involved in hypertension and the drug is considered to exert an antihypertensive effect by blocking these receptor activation.

Daiichi Sankyo expects the drug to benefit patients and healthcare professionals in Japan by providing a new therapeutic option for the treatment of hypertension.

The Phase III pivotal study (ESAX-DN study) has been on-going in patients with diabetic nephropathy in Japan.