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January 8, 2016
| Eli Lilly Japan K.K. |
| Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. |
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| Aiming to contribute to psoriasis treatment in Japan, Contract signed for strategic co-promotion for Ixekizumab, Humanized Anti-Interleukin-17 Monoclonal Antibody |
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Eli Lilly Japan K.K. (Head Office: Kobe City, Hyogo, President and Representative Director: Patrick Johnson, hereinafter called “Eli Lilly Japan”) and Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President and Representative Director: Shoichiro Takagi, hereinafter called “Torii Pharma”) today announced that the two companies signed a strategic sales collaboration contract in the area of dermatology in Japan for a humanized anti-interleukin-17 monoclonal antibody “Ixekizumab [recombinant], hereinafter called the Ixekizumab” that Eli Lilly Japan is developing and has filed an application for the manufacture and sale approval for the treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis last year in Japan.
Eli Lilly has been committing to develop Ixekizumab in Japan, it was a part of a global simultaneous clinical programs and includes Japanese patients. Eli Lilly Japan will conduct manufacturing, marketing and distribution of Ixekizumab. Based on this contract, the two companies will co-promote the product to healthcare professionals in dermatology area.
Commenting on the contract signed this time, Barret B. Madrigal, Senior Director of Eli Lilly Japan’s Musculoskeletal Business Unit and Autoimmune Business Unit, says, “Under the signed contract, Torii Pharma that has abundant experience in marketing medicines in the Japanese dermatology area and Eli Lilly Japan that has accumulated expertise and experience in manufacturing and marketing biotechnology medicines will meet unmet needs of many more patients who suffer from psoriasis by forming a team to promote Ixekizumab. Eli Lilly Japan is committed to continue making efforts so as to help patients achieve treatment goals in the area of dermatology.”
Also, Akihiko Tamura, Member of the Board, Executive Director, Head of Pharmaceutical Marketing & Promotion Group of Torii Pharma says, “Under this alliance, I am very pleased to be able to provide new value to the medical field with the cooperation of Lilly and Torii Pharma. We want to make a contribution to the medical care in the area of skin disease by being engaged in the quick, appropriate delivery of Ixekizumab, a new treatment option, to the actual healthcare site in the skin disease area that is important for Torii Pharma”.
Eli Lilly Japan and Torii Pharma plan to make more contributions to the treatment of psoriasis by building a close collaborative relationship through co-promotion for Ixekizumab that is expected to become a new treatment option for psoriasis.
| ＜Reference＞ |
| About Ixekizumab |
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Ixekizumab is a monoclonal antibody with high affinity and specificity that binds to and neutralizes the interleukin-17A (IL-17A). In psoriasis, IL-17A plays a major role in driving excess keratinocyte (skin cell) proliferation and activation. Ixekizumab does not bind to IL-17B, IL-17C, IL-17D, IL-17E or IL-17F. Ixekizumab is administered via subcutaneous injection (under the skin). The Ixekizumab approval application was submitted for the treatment of plaque Psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, based on results of global studies (UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3) and a domestic clinical trial (UNCOVER-J).
●Manufactured and marketed by Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
●Co-promoted by Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. |
| About psoriasis |
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Psoriasis is a chronic, noncontagious autoinflammatory disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells.i It is the most common inflammatory disease in the United States, affecting as many as 7.5 million Americans and an estimated 125 million people worldwide ii and 430,000 people in Japan iii. The number of psoriatic arthritis is estimated 60,000 in Japan iv. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body and is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. v,vi
The most common form of psoriasis is psoriasis vulgaris where the red raised skin is covered with flaky silvery white build up made up of dead skin cells. Approximately 17% of patients with psoriasis vulgaris were reported to be moderate-to-severe vii.
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| About Eli Lilly Japan K.K. |
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Eli Lilly Japan K.K. is a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company and makes a contribution to medical treatment in Japan through the import, development, manufacture, and sale of innovative pharmaceutical products that allow people to live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Lilly provides therapeutic agents for schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder / hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), cancer (non-small-cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, biliary tract cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, urothelial carcinoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, malignant lymphoma and gastric cancer), diabetes mellitus, failure to thrive, osteoporosis, etc. Lilly is also developing diagnostic agents and therapeutic agents for Alzheimer-type dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, etc. For more information, please visit us at http://www.lilly.co.jp |
| About Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. |
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With its corporate mission“ Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. aims to contribute to the improvement of human health and to fulfill its responsibilities to customers, shareholders, society and employees, by supplying world-class pharmaceutical products. “, Torii Pharma positions “Renal diseases and Hemodialysis area“, “HIV area“, “Allergens area“ and “ Skin disease area“ as its areas of importance.
A member of JT (Japan Tobacco) Group, Torii Pharma collaborates with JT through a functional division of labor in which new compound R&D functions are concentrated at JT and manufacturing and marketing functions are concentrated at Torii Pharma. In addition, Torii Pharma is carrying out functions including existing products‘ formulation improvement and additional indications, while conducting R&D in areas where the company has outstanding expertise. For more information, please visit our corporate website at: http://www.torii.co.jp/en/index.html |
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| REFERENCES |
| i. |
National Psoriasis Foundation®, File, Communications, Psoriasis, http://www.psoriasis.org/file/communications---all-documents/MediaKit.pdf (Accessed August 20, 2014) |
| ii. |
Ibid. |
| iii. |
久保田潔、佐藤嗣道、大場延浩他(2013)ナショナルレセプトデータベースの活用可能性を探る-乾癬の疫学研究から–日本薬剤疫学会、11月16日-17日2013、東京、2013:39 |
| iv. |
The Journal of Rheumatology 2015; 42:8; doi:10.3899/jrheum.141598 |
| v. |
Rapp SR, Feldman SR, Exum ML, Fleischer AB, Reboussin DM. Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;41:401-7. |
| vi. |
Kurd SK, et al. The Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Patients With Psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 2010;146(8);891-895. |
| vii. |
National Psoriasis Foundation®, “Psoriasis Severity,” http://psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/treatments/severity (Accessed July 15, 2014) |
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