Novo Nordisk To Launch Victoza In Japan

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk A/S (NOVO-B.KO) said Wednesday it plans to launch type 2 diabetes treatment Victoza in Japan in the first half of 2010, after gaining approval there.

Novo Nordisk's Chief Science Officer Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen said clinical studies in Japan showed that Victoza--also known as Liraglutide--provides superior blood sugar control. The approval is an important milestone for Novo Nordisk, he added.

Victoza was launched in a number of European countries last year, and is awaiting U.S. approval.

An expert panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April came to a split decision on whether Victoza, a synthetic hormone that stimulates insulin production in the human body, was safe to be marketed after trials showed an increased incidence of tumors in rats and mice.

Analysts see a big commercial potential for Victoza. Compared to diabetes treatment with insulin, it doesn't risk pushing blood sugar too low and it also helps patients lose weight.

However, the drug faces upcoming competition from rival treatments such as Byetta LAR, which is expected to reach the market during 2010. Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) and Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMLN) partnered with Alkermes Inc. (ALKS) to develop Byetta LAR.

Shares in Novo Nordisk closed Tuesday at DKK349.

Company Web site: http://www.novonordisk.com

-By Gustav Sandstrom, Dow Jones Newswires; +46-8-5451-3099; gustav.sandstrom@dowjones.com

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MM) (NASDAQ:AMLN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024