Fujifilm signs an exclusive market agreement with Chinese major pharmaceutical company Shenzhen Main Luck for the distribution of its oral synthetic quinolone antibacterial agent.

OREANDA-NEWS. July 02, 2015. FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima; Hereinafter “Fujifilm”) has announced that it signed an exclusive marketing agreement with China's major pharmaceutical company Shenzhen Main Luck Pharmaceuticals Inc. (President: Yuan Qing; Hereinafter “Shenzhen Main Luck”) on June 26, 2015 for the oral synthetic quinolone antibacterial agent “T-3811” (generic name: garenoxacin mesilate hydrate), developed by the Fujifilm Group company Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd(Hereinafter “Toyama Chemical”).

Fujifilm now plans to start marketing T-3811 via Shenzhen Main Luck after obtaining import drug license for the drug in China. This will be the first time for Fujifilm to market a pharmaceutical product overseas.

T-3811 is an oral synthetic quinolone antibacterial agent that demonstrates excellent antibacterial activity against bacteria causing respiratory tract infection and otorhinolaryngological infection including drug-resistant bacteria such as multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. The oral agent has a high level of absorption and tissue penetration performance, and shows producing excellent treatment efficacy with once-daily administration. In Japan, the agent was introduced to the market in October 2007 as “Geninax® Tablet 200mg”*. In China, Toyama Chemical launched the clinical trials in December 2011 and applied for the approval for import drug license in June 2013.

Shenzhen Main Luck has strength in anti-cancer agents. For business expansion, the company is currently directing its attention to the antibacterial field to offer treatments for infectious diseases in immunocompromised patients undergoing anti-cancer treatment.
Under this agreement, the Fujifilm Group takes charge of manufacturing, supplying and obtaining / updating the import drug license for T-3811, whereas Shenzhen Main Luck takes charge of its marketing and sales operations to promote T-3811 in China.

In recent years, the pharmaceutical market in China has seen a rapid growth of around 20% per annum, and is expected to surpass Japan to become the world's second largest market. The antibacterial drug market is expected strong growth with overseas innovative drugs that are anticipated to deliver a high level of efficacy on drug-resistant bacteria.

Fujifilm will continue to combine the technologies and know-how accumulated in the photographic film business including chemical synthesis capacity, design ability, analysis technology and nanotechnology, with the technological expertise of its core medical and pharmaceutical affiliates such as Toyama Chemical so as to develop and supply innovative pharmaceutical products, resolving our society issues.

• * Toyama Chemical Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Astellas Pharma Inc. (President Yoshihiko Hatanaka; Hereinafter “Astellas”) signed a basic licensing agreement in March 2006 for the drug's marketing and joint development within Japan. Toyama Chemical handles manufacturing while Astellas takes charge of distribution and marketing as well as working in partnership with Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (President Kenichi Fujita) for sales promotion.