TOKYO and OSAKA January 17, 2018 - Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., “Astellas” ) and AstraZeneca K.K. (Representative Director and President: Stefan Woxström) today announced that the sale and distribution of Symbicort® Turbuhaler® 30 doses and Symbicort® Turbuhaler® 60 doses (“the product”), the inhalation dry-powder treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (“COPD”), conducted by Astellas in Japan will be transferred to AstraZeneca K.K., and that the co-promotion conducted by Astellas and AstraZeneca K.K. will be terminated on July 30, 2019. AstraZeneca K.K. will solely distribute and promote the product in Japan from July 31, 2019.
The termination of the sale and distribution by Astellas and the co-promotion by both companies of the product is due to the expiration of the sale and co-promotion agreement concluded in 2009 by Astellas and AstraZeneca AB (Headquarter; Sweden), an affiliated company of AstraZeneca K.K.
The product, a twice daily inhalation dry-powder treatment for asthma and COPD, combines an inhaled corticosteroid budesonide and a rapid and long-acting β2 agonist formoterol fumarate dihydrate within a single dry powder inhalation device. The product was launched in Japan in January 2010. AstraZeneca K.K. has manufactured and developed, and Astellas has distributed, and both companies have jointly promoted the product.
List of the products
Symbicort® Turbuhaler® 30 doses
Symbicort® Turbuhaler® 60 doses
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