Takeda's Voglibose Launched In Japan

2 October 1994

Takeda Chemical Industries has launched its new orally-active antidiabetes product Basen (voglibose) in Japan, its first market. The drug was approved by Japan's regulatory authorities in July for diabetic patients who do not respond to dietary therapy and exercise, or administration of oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin in combination with dietary therapy and exercise.

Voglibose acts by inhibition of alpha- glucosidase, an enzyme involved in the breakdown of ingested disaccharides (eg sucrose, maltose) into monosaccharides (eg glucose, fructose) in the gut to facilitate their absorption. The drug is taken just before meals to prevent the postprandial hyperglycemia seen in diabetics. This type of agent can be considered a drug of first choice in overweight diabetic patients, because unlike the sulphonylureas they are not known to stimulate weight gain.

A similar product, Bayer's Glucobay (acarbose) was approved by Japan's central Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau in September 1993.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free.  A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Login to your account

Become a subscriber

 

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now
  • Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
  • Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
  • Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
  • Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
  • Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK



Companies featured in this story

More ones to watch >


Today's issue

Company Spotlight