Healthcare

June 2007

Sanofi-Aventis Developing Obesity Drug For Japanese Market
Sanofi-Aventis KK is progressing with the third and final phase of clinical testing on Acomplia, its appetite-suppressing drug for obesity, and expects to apply for marketing approval in 2009. The company's French parent company Sanofi-Aventis already markets Acomplia in 15 countries in Europe and South America and it has applied for approval for marketing in the U.S. Novartis Pharma KK, the local arm of Swiss drug giant Norvatis AG, is currently the only company with an appetite-suppressing drug for obesity on the market in Japan. But that product, Sanorex, is indicated for people with a Body Mass Index of 35 or higher. In contrast, Acomplia is being developed for people with a BMI as low as 25. It has already proven to be safe and effective on people who are both obese and have diabetes. In Japan, Sanofi-Aventis is focused mainly on the marketing of drugs for diabetes and circulatory disorders. It hopes to develop Acomplia as a product that can carry the company forward after the patents expire on its current main products. Several Japanese pharmaceutical companies are also developing drugs for obesity. Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. is in Phase II trials with a product and Eisai Co. is in Phase III trials.
(The Nikkei Business Daily, June 05, 2007)