AstraZeneca's Seroquel approved in Japan

AstraZeneca has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Healthfor Seroquel (quetiapine) for the treatment of schizophrenia. The product becomes the second atypical antipsychotic to be made available in Japan, after Janssen's Risperdal (risperidone).

The firm has also received two line extensions from the MHW for its proton pump inhibitor Omepral (omeprazole) for long-term maintenance therapy of reflux esophagitis, and adds that it is expecting Japanese approval before year-end for Arimidex (anastrozole), its selective aromatase inhibitor for treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer, and also for Accolate (zafirlukast), its leukotriene receptor antagonist for the oral treatment of adult asthma.