BRIEF—Eisai launches Goofice in Japan

Japanese pharma major Eisai (TYO: 4523) says that the bile acid transporter inhibitor Goofice 5mg tablet (elobixibat hydrate) was listed in Japan’s National Health Insurance Drug Price List as of April 18, 2018, and Eisai subsidiary EA Pharma and Mochida Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4534) launched the product onto Japan’s market yesterday.

Goofice, which EA Pharma in-licensed from Albireo (Nasdaq: ALBO), a biotechnology company spun out from Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca in 2008, is a once-daily, orally-available constipation treatment with a novel action mechanism.

Goofice inhibits the bile acid transporter that regulates reabsorption of bile acids thereby increasing the flow of bile acids to the colon.

The dual action of moisture secretion and bowel movement promotion is expected to enhance natural defecation.

Goofice is the first ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor approved anywhere in the world, according to Eisai.