Takeda gains Chinese approval for diabetes drug

Japan’s largest drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502), says that the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has issued an Import Drug License (IDL) for Nesina (alogliptin) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Nesina is an orally-administered dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) designed to slow the inactivation of incretin hormones GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide). As a result, an increased amount of active incretins enables the pancreas to secrete insulin in a glucose-dependent manner, thereby assisting in the management of blood glucose levels. Nesina was originally created by Takeda California, Takeda's wholly-owned subsidiary located in San Diego.

“We are pleased with the CFDA approval of Nesina for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is an important milestone for the company and very good news for diabetes patients in China, and also for doctors who now have a new treatment that helps address the needs of their patients,” said Haruhiko Hirate, corporate officer and head of North Asia at Takeda, adding: “Diabetes has become a rapidly growing public health problem in China. Takeda has built a strong foundation in and maintained a robust focus on diabetes over the past 20 years, and remains committed to developing a diverse range of innovative products for the growing type 2 diabetes population.”