Chugai seeks Tarceva approval in Japan

Roche’s Japanese affiliate, Chugai Pharmaceutical, has submitted an application to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to develop a new drug for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Chugai has worked with OSI Pharmaceuticals in the Far East to bring the flagship product Tarceva to the region, after securing approval in the United States and the European Union.

OSI has welcomed the development of the treatment and the input of its collaborators.
“We applaud our colleagues at Chugai and Roche for their commitment to bringing this important treatment option to lung cancer patients in Japan as quickly as possible,” commented president Gabriel Leung.

“We expect Japan to be among the top countries in terms of sales potential for Tarceva, and to be a key growth driver for this product.”

Lung cancer is believed to be the most common cancer worldwide, with 1.2 million new cases reported each year according to the World Health Organisation.

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