Nu-lotan driving sales at Banyu

Banyu, the Japanese drugmaker 51%-owned by Merck & Co, posted sales of169.75 billion yen ($1.42 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 2001, an increase of 4.5%, while net profits were up 11.8% to 19.12 billion yen. Pharma Japan reports that the performance of the firm's hypertension drug Nu-lotan (losartan), sales of which jumped 77.7% to 36.60 billion yen, more than offset the decline in revenues from the lipid-lowerer Lipovas (simvastatin) and the ACE inhibitor Renivace (enalapril). Sales of the antibiotic Tienam (imipenem/cilastatin sodium) also fell, while Banyu noted that it has now stopped selling the anticoagulant Futhan (nafamostat).

On the positive side, Pharma Japan notes that oral bisphosphonate for osteoporosis, Fosamac (alendronate; trade name Fosamax elsewhere) and Singulair (montelukast) for asthma have both passed a review by Japan's Special Committee of the Council on Drugs and Food Sanitation and are expected to be launched in August or September this year. Annual sales of Fosomac are expected to reach 3-4 billion yen, while turnover of Singulair is forecast to be 5-6.5 billion yen. Banyu noted that its launch of the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib, sold elsewhere as Vioxx, is due in 2004, after a Japanese filing is made next year.