On 14 October, Nexera Pharma announced that it had entered into an exclusive license agreement with Taiwan’s Synmosa Biopharma Corporation covering 8 Asia-Pacific countries. On the same day, Rhythm Pharma announced the launch of Imcivree as part of its full-scale entry into the Japanese market.
On 14 October, Nexera Pharma announced that it had entered into an exclusive license, supply and commercialization agreement with Synmosa Biopharma Corporation for the sleep medication Quviviq (daridorexant) in 8 countries: Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. Nexera Pharma will grant the company rights relating to regulatory applications, obtaining and maintaining approvals, and commercialization, enabling the product’s rollout in the covered regions. In return, it expects to receive upfront and milestone payments, royalties based on sales and revenue from product supply.
Rhythm Pharma announced on the same day that it had launched Imcivree (setmelanotide), a treatment for acquired hypothalamic obesity. It is the first treatment of its kind in Japan, marking the company’s full-scale expansion into the Japanese market. An international joint Phase 3 clinical trial reported a statistically significant 18.8% difference from placebo in the rate of BMI reduction. The drug price is ¥349,863 per 10 mg vial, and sales are expected to reach ¥28.1 billion at peak.
Novartis Pharma announced on the same day that it would establish the “MOSHIMO Action Grant” to support shared and collaborative decision-making by patient groups, families and healthcare professionals. Eligible organizations are those conducting activities that support the sharing of medical information and decision-making. The grant will support awareness initiatives, educational material development and surveys of actual conditions. Applications will be accepted from 10 October through 31 January 2027, with the selection results expected to be announced around March. Up to 2 organizations will be selected, with ¥500,000 provided to each.
On 14 October, 丸石製薬 and 東邦HD conducted an experiment involving the transport of general anesthetics by bullet train in anticipation of a major disaster. With the cooperation of JR Central, JR West and JR East, among others, the drugs were transported by bullet train between Toho logistics centers in Hiroshima and Ishikawa prefectures via Tokyo Station. No delays or temperature deviations occurred, confirming that the system would function in an emergency.