Healthcare

September 2005

Takeda Introduces Its 1st New Drug In U.S. In 6 Years
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. on Monday launched U.S. sales of Rozerem, an insomnia treatment that is the drugmaker's first new product in that country in six years. Takeda has introduced Rozerem through its wholly owned sales subsidiary Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. The subsidiary will use 1,000 medical representatives, including the staff of a specialized sales subcontracting firm, to market the drug. Sales efforts will be focused on practicing physicians. In its sales in the U.S. to date, Takeda has used various pharmaceutical firms in that country. By handling such sales on its own, the company will reduce fees paid to other firms, thereby increasing the contribution of sales to profits. The company has decided to engage in sales on its own now that it has acquired 20 years of experience in the market. Takeda will also accelerate the shift to foreign production. By next spring, it plans to begin production of bulk pharmaceuticals for Rozerem and Actos, a diabetes treatment, at a newly constructed plant in Ireland. The company had limited the production of bulk pharmaceuticals, which can greatly affect the quality of the drug product, to Japan. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, September 27, 2005)

Government Lab, Hitachi Develop Faster, More Accurate Colon Cancer Test
The National Cancer Center (NCC) and Hitachi Ltd. have jointly developed colon cancer detection technology capable of processing the fecal samples of 16-32 persons simultaneously, by analyzing the genes of intestinal cells. The test can detect the cancer with a reliability of some 70%, much higher than the less than 20% obtained via the commonly used fecal occult blood test, which is designed to detect small amounts of blood in the stool, a possible indicator of colon cancer. The technology analyzes genes of the cells from the intestine's surface. The NCC-Hitachi research team had been analyzing all the genes to single out the cancer genes, but the newly developed method employs electrophoresis, a molecular biological technique for separating nucleic acids and proteins by size, to identify cancer genes. In the clinical testing, which covered 22 cancer patients and 35 non-cancer patients, the new detection technology detected cancer in 70% of the cancer patients. The joint research team plans to build an automatic testing system and conduct clinical trials on 10,000 or more samples. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, September 16, 2005)

Kirin to bolster pharmaceutical R&D in U.S.
Kirin Brewery Co. will as early as the summer of 2006 move its research and development site in California to the University of California, San Diego, campus to accelerate collaborations with the university and biotechnology start-ups. The company, which aims to introduce new drugs from 2010, will make use of the university's R&D experience in antibodies to develop antibody therapeutics. Kirin will move Gemini Science Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, to the bioresearch park of the university, which will house four or five firms, including major pharmaceutical companies. Thirty-five Gemini employees are currently researching immunity and allergies, concentrating their efforts on antibodies. Chiefly through Gemini, Kirin plans to strengthen R&D collaboration within its group. For instance, Gemini will work with recently acquired South Dakota research firm Hematech LLC, which has expertise in the area of bovine-derived human polyclonal antibodies. Kirin began pharmaceutical operations in 1982 through a tie-up with U.S. drug firm Amgen Inc. Espo, used to treat anemia due to chronic renal failure, and Gran, used to stimulate white blood cell production in patients after chemotherapy, are two key drugs that came out of their collaborative efforts. But because Kirin has not devised any products in-house, it is now focusing on the development of pharmaceuticals in such areas as renal disease, cancer, immunity and allergies. (The Nikkei Weekly, September 12, 2005)

Omron Healthcare To Sell Arterial Stiffness Gauge
Omron Healthcare Co. is due to market next Wednesday equipment designed to measure the hardness of a person's arteries and their blood pressure. The aim is to assess the risk of the user developing a brain infarction or angina pectoris. The product, called HEM-9000AI, will gauge the augmentation index (AI), a measure of arterial stiffness, and assess the heart's condition in about one minute through a belt wrapped around the user's left wrist. It also measures the blood pressure from the user's right arm simultaneously. The equipment displays its readings of the AI, blood pressure and heartbeat in graph form and compares them with normal levels. The suggested retail price is 1.57 million yen. Sales are targeted at 150 units for the first year, rising to 300 in the second year. (The Nikkei Business Daily, September 2, 2005)

Kirin To Bolster Pharmaceutical R&D In North America
Kirin Brewery Co. will as early as the spring of 2006 move its R&D site in California to the University of California, San Diego, campus to accelerate collaboration with the university and biotechnology startups. The company, which aims to introduce new drugs from 2010, will make use of the university's R&D experience in antibodies to develop antibody therapeutics. Kirin will move Gemini Science Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, to the bioresearch park of the university, which will house four or five major firms, including pharmaceutical companies. Thirty-five Gemini employees are currently performing research on immunity and allergies, concentrating efforts on antibodies. Chiefly through Gemini, Kirin plans to strengthen R&D collaboration within its group. For instance, Gemini will work with recently acquired South Dakota research firm Hematech Inc., which has technology in the area of bovine-derived human polyclonal antibodies. Kirin began pharmaceutical operations in 1982 through a tie-up with U.S. drug firm Amgen Inc. Espo, used to treat anemia due to chronic renal failure, and Gran, used to stimulate white blood cell production in patients after chemotherapy, are two key drugs that came out of their collaboration. But because Kirin has not devised any products in-house, it is now focusing on the development of pharmaceuticals in such areas as renal disease, cancer, immunity and allergies. (The Nikkei Business Daily, September 1, 2005)