Japanese approval for Forxiga and Lonsurf

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) says that Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) approved Forxiga (dapagliflozin in 5mg and 10mg tablets), a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, as a once-daily oral treatment for type 2 diabetes.

The Forxiga application was submitted to the MHLW by the local subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMS). AstraZeneca and Japanese drugmaker Ono Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4528) entered into an agreement to co-promote Forxiga in December 2013.

Fouzia Laghrissi-Thode, vice president, global product portfolio strategy for cardiovascular and metabolism, said: “In collaboration with our partner Ono, we are pleased to provide Forxiga as a new treatment option for patients in Japan, where there are an estimated 9.5 million people living with type 2 diabetes. The approval of Forxiga reinforces AstraZeneca’s focus on both diabetes and Japan as two of our key growth drivers."