Merck & Co to co-promote diabetes agent ipragliflozin in Japan

Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) has entered into a co-promotion agreement in Japan with MSD KK, the local unit of US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), for ipragliflozin L-proline (development code: ASP1941), a SGLT2 inhibitor.

Earlier this year, Astellas filed an application for approval of ipragliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Japan (The Pharma Letter March 14). In what came as something of a surprise, last November Astellas decided to discontinue the US and European Phase II development of its ipragliflozin, citing purely commercial reasons.

Astellas will manufacture and sell ipragliflozin. Under the accord, MSD will co-promote ipragliflozin with Astellas and Kotobuki Pharmaceutical.