Novartis wins Japanese approval for four new drugs

Tasigna is approved in Japan for the treatment of certain forms of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia, a rare and potentially fatal cancer of the white blood cells, in adult patients who are resistant to Glivec/Gleevec.

Xolair reportedly offers an entirely new approach to the treatment of severe asthma by targeting the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody, a root cause of allergic disease. It is approved in Japan for treating severe bronchial asthma in adult patients who are uncontrolled despite use of standard medications. Xolair is manufactured by Novartis Pharma. In the US, it is co-promoted by Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Genentech.

Co-Dio is a single-pill combination of Diovan, the leading branded high blood pressure medication and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), another high blood pressure treatment from the diuretics drug class. It is approved in Japan as second-line therapy at a dosage of 80mg valsartan combined with either 6.25 or 12.5mg HCT.

Lucentis was developed specifically for use in the eye and is the only approved therapy shown to improve vision and vision-related function in a vast majority of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Lucentis is indicated in Japan for subfoveal wet AMD.

Joe Jimenez, CEO of Novartis Pharma, said: It is a significant achievement to secure the approval of so many important new medicines for the benefit of Japanese patients in a single day.

We are proud to be able to offer these innovative medications that provide new options to treat serious, and in some cases life-threatening diseases affecting millions of Japanese patients and their families.