Troglitazone Launched In Japan; 1st Market

As reported briefly in the Marketletter last week, Sankyo has finallylaunched its oral antidiabetic drug Noscal (troglitazone) onto the Japanese market, after some considerable delay. This is the first world market for the drug.

Troglitazone was approved in Japan in September 1995, but was not price-listed there until the end of last year because of concerns over the product's safety. It has also been cleared in the USA (Marketletter February 10), and is scheduled for launch by the end of this month by US licensee Warner-Lambert's Parke-Davis subsidiary (as Rezulin), and also by a Sankyo/Parke-Davis joint venture (as Prelay). European licensee Glaxo Wellcome is planning to file for approval of the drug, under the trade name Romozin, in the near future.

Pricing has been established in Japan at 60.25 yen per 100mg tablet and 112.50 yen per 200mg tablet). Troglitazone should be initiated at 200mg once-daily and increased after two to four weeks in non-responders. The usual maintenance dose is 400mg/day, and the maximum is 600mg. Analysts have predicted that sales of the drug could clear $1 billion a year.