Four Novartis drugs and B-MS

Among 11 pharmaceutical ingredients/15 products to be added to Japan's  National Health Insurance drug price list on March 13, were Swiss drug  major Novartis' Tasigna (nilotinib) for the treatment of chronic  myeloid leukemia, Lucentis (ranibizumab) for wet age-related macular  degeneration, Xolair (omalizumab) for severe asthma, Co-Dio (fixed-dose  of combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide: CHTZ) for  hypertension, and Bristol-Myers' Sprycel (dasatinib) for CML.

The price of Tasigna 200mgL, for the treatment of Philadelphia  chromosome-positive CML in patients who are resistant to imatinib, was  set at 5,396.70 yen with a 5% premium for usefulness as it provides a  new option with patients with CML and a 10% premium for marketability  as it is an orphan drug. Sales are expected to reach 1.05 billion yen  ($11.1 million) in the first year on the market and 5.68 billion yen at  peak in the 10th.

Lucentis Intravitreous Injection 0.5ml 0.05ml was set at 176,235 yen. A  15% premium was added because of the administration frequency is four  times a year - or half that of the comparator, Pfizer's Macugen  (pegaptanib). Turnover is forecast to reach 4.8 billion yen in the first  year and 23.4 billion yen at peak in the 10th.