Sun Pharma gets nod from Japan govt for plaque psoriasis treatment drug

Sun Pharma on Monday said one of its subsidiaries has got approval from the Japanese government for its specialty product Ilumya, indicated for treatment of plaque psoriasis in adult patients.

The wholly-owned subsidiary has received approval from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for Ilumya (tildrakizumab) for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adult patients who have an inadequate response to conventional therapies, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said in filing to BSE.

Ilumya, a humanized monoclonal antibody, is one of the key specialty products of Sun Pharma and was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in March 2018, and by the European Commission in September 2018, it added.

"Ilumya is the first innovative drug that Sun Pharma plans to launch in Japan. It was extensively tested in Japanese patients as part of Ilumya's global clinical development program," Sun Pharma Japan Country Head Junichi Nakamichi said.

The drug offers a new treatment option with only one injection every 12 weeks for Japanese patients who struggle everyday with the chronic nature of plaque psoriasis, he added.

"This approval adds a biologic product to our existing strong dermatology portfolio in Japan," Nakamichi said.

Psoriasis is a chronic immune disease that appears on the skin.

Shares of Sun Pharma were trading at Rs 480.45 per scrip on BSE, up 0.10 per cent from the previous close.