Taiwan, Japan firms sign agreement to develop cancer drugs

 2012/11/07 17:37:05 Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Taipei-based Orient Europharma Group (OEP) and Japan's NanoCarrier Co. Ltd. inked a new license agreement on a pancreatic cancer drug on Wednesday, and unveiled their joint investment of NT$700 million (US$24 million) in a new plant to produce cancer drugs.The two companies decided to continue their joint research on Nanoplatin, a chemotherapy drug in the second phase of clinical trial, four years after they started developing the drug, said OEP President Peter Tsai at the signing ceremony.The new license agreement gives OEP worldwide, non-exclusive manufacturing rights of the drug, also known as NC-6004, in addition to rights under the original license agreement on the development and marketing of NC-6004 in the Asian countries listed in the previous deal.In light of the new agreement, OEP said it will establish a new manufacturing subsidiary with NanoCarrier in Yunlin County to produce chemotherapy drugs given in injection form, with Nanoplatin being the first in line.Construction on the new plant at the Central Taiwan Science Park's Huwei Park will begin in 2013, and the facility is forecast to generate up to US$500 million in annual sales after its scheduled completion in 2016.The companies aim to secure certification for the plant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Tsai added.The firms also plan to conduct clinical trials on pancreatic cancer patients in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia, Tsai said.NanoCarrier President Ichiro Nakatomi said certain measures adopted by the Taiwan government will determine the success of the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Taiwan, as will the government's determination to develop the industry at the national level.Taiwan's Bureau of Industrial Development provides necessary assistance to the sector, and the Taiwan FDA has established a quick review and priority certification system that can help new drugs be certified sooner, Nakatomi noted.