Teijin and Ipsen's Somatuline cleared in Japan

Japanese drugmaker Teijin Pharma (TYO: 3402) revealed last Friday that it has received manufacturing and marketing approval for Somatuline (lanreotide acetate) subcutaneous injection for the treatment of acromegaly and pituitary gigantism from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Teijin Pharma plans to launch the product this coming winter. In the framework of the successive agreements signed between Teijin and French originator Ipsen (Euronext: IPN), Teijin is entitled to develop and commercialize Somatuline in  Japan and Ipsen will manufacture and supply the finished product to Teijin. Ipsen will record the supply sale to Teijin in its sales line.

Somatuline subcutaneous injection is a synthetic somatostatin analog developed by Ipsen and has been approved in over 54 counties and regions worldwide. Unlike conventional treatments, the product comes pre-packaged in convenient one-use syringes, saving doctors from having to prepare each treatment individually.