Daiichi Sankyo and Menarini pen deal for Lixiana in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore

Singapore-based Menarini Asia-Pacific Holdings and Japanese pharma major Daiichi Sankyo (TYO: 4568) have signed a multi-year exclusive licensing agreement for the former to assume the sales, marketing and distribution of the oral, once-daily, direct factor Xa inhibitor anticoagulant Lixiana (edoxaban) in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, following respective regulatory approvals in those countries.

Lixiana first came to the market in 2015, and in the financial year ended March 2018 generated global sales of around $700 million, a year-on-year rise of 106.5%

“Oral, once-daily edoxaban is currently marketed by Daiichi Sankyo and its partners in more than 20 countries around the world, including the USA, the EU, Japan, and ASCA (Asia, South & Central America) markets such as South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand,” says Hiroyuki Okuzawa, corporate officer, president of ASCA Company, Daiichi Sankyo, adding: “We are extremely happy about this agreement with our long-term partner, Menarini, which will make edoxaban accessible to address the unmet medical needs of patients in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore.”