Astellas and Pfizer to sell Celecox in Japan

Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma and USA-based Pfizer launched the COX-2 inhibitor Celecox (celecoxib; also known as Celebrex and Celebra) in Japan on June 12. The drug, which is designed to treat the inflammation and pain associated with rheumatoid- and osteo-arthritis has, since it was first marketed in the USA in 1999, been sold in over one hundred countries worldwide and used by an estimated 31 million patients.

Astellas and Pfizer have collaborated on the product's development for the Japanese market, gaining approval in that country late last year (Marketletter October 30, 2006). Under the terms of the original co-development deal, Pfizer is now responsible for the importation of the product's active ingredients, while Astellas will carry out manufacture and distribution.