Teijin Pharma signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Astellas Pharma Taiwan in April 2009 for the development and marketing of febuxostat in Taiwan. In May 2011, Astellas Pharma Taiwan received approval from the Taiwan Department of Health to market the drug in the country for treatment of chronic hyperuricemia in patients with gout.
Discovered by Teijin Pharma, febuxostat is the world's first non-purine selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. It has a novel chemical structure completely different from that of allopurinol, which has been used for over 40 years as the standard treatment for hyperuricemia and gout. Taken once daily, febuxostat effectively reduces the level of uric acid in the blood of patients to the recommended level, and is well tolerated without need for dose adjustment in patients suffering from mild to moderate renal impairment.
Teijin Pharma has positioned febuxostat as a globally strategic product and expects to achieve annual global sales of 100 to 160 billion yen in the foreseeable future. Since March 2009, febuxostat has been marketed by licensees in the U.S., Canada, 15 European countries and Korea. In Japan, Teijin Pharma launched the drug in May 2011. Elsewhere, approvals have been obtained in Hong Kong, and collaborative arrangements have been formed with licensees in a total of 117 markets such as China, Turkey, Mexico and various counties of the Caribbean, Middle East and North African (MENA) regions, Central and South America, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Oceania, covering all major markets worldwide.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the areas of sustainable transportation, information and electronics, safety and protection, environment and energy, and healthcare. Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibers such as aramid, carbon fibers & composites, healthcare, films, resin & plastic processing, polyester fibers, products converting and IT. The group has some 150 companies and around 17,000 employees spread out over 20 countries worldwide. It posted consolidated sales of JPY 854.4 billion (USD 10.7 billion) and total assets of JPY 762.1 billion (USD 9.5billion) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. Please visit www.teijin.co.jp/english.
Press Contact
Rie Mashiba
Public Relations Office
Teijin Limited
+81 3 3506 4055
pr@teijin.co.jp
