Singapore: Further building on its presence in the Asian region, Burton-based Clinigen Group,has launched its Japanese business with the opening of an office in Tokyo, Japan. Alongside the launch, Clinigen K.K. will transfer the Marketing Authorisation for its lead Specialty Pharmaceutical (SP) product Foscavir (foscarnet sodium) back from Nobel Pharma on 1 November 2016. Nobel Pharma has been the distribution partner for Foscavir in Japan since 2011.

Japan is the second largest pharmaceutical market globally and opening an office in Japan provides Clinigen with immense opportunities. The Japanese business will allow the Group to supply and distribute both licensed and unlicensed medicines in the country, providing additional infrastructure to support Clinigen's mission to deliver the right medicine to the right patient at the right time.

Clinigen already has a presence in Asia with the acquisition of Link Healthcare in 2015. The Japanese business will be known as Clinigen KK. Foscavir is indicated to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or Cytomegalovirus viremia and cytomegalovirus disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. Japan was the first market where Clinigen successfully achieved a new license extension for HSCT patients in 2011.

With more than 2000 patients treated annually, Japan remains an important market for Foscavir. Clinigen will assume full marketing and distribution responsibility for Foscavir from November, to supply the product to healthcare professionals and patients across Japan.

Mr Shaun Chilton, chief executive designate of Clinigen, said, "We are focused on building our market leadership positions by expanding in key geographic regions to drive sustained organic growth and better address unmet patient needs for access to critical medicines."

"The opening of our Japanese business helps support our goals and will enable us to effectively serve the Japanese market by supplying our own products, beginning with Foscavir."
"At a time when many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are looking for specialist partners to work with them in Asia, the opening of our Japanese office gives us more opportunities to provide customers with our global expertise combined with local knowledge."

Clinigen employs over 500 people globally, across 11 locations. The opening of the Japanese office further expands its international supply chain and operational network.