Hutchmed partner launches Fruzaqla in Japan

Hutchmed China announced the launch of ‘Fruzaqla’, or fruquintinib, in Japan on Friday by its partner, Takeda, following approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in September.

The AIM-traded firm said the milestone triggered a payment to Hutchmed under the terms of its licensing agreement with Takeda, which has exclusive rights to develop and commercialise the drug outside mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

It said Fruzaqla is the first novel oral targeted therapy approved in Japan for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) in over a decade.

It is indicated for patients whose disease had progressed after chemotherapy and was neither curable nor resectable.

CRC is the most common cancer in Japan, with around 161,000 new cases and 54,000 deaths recorded in 2023, highlighting a significant medical need for new treatment options.

The approval and launch of Fruzaqla in Japan was primarily based on data from the global phase three ‘FRESCO-2’ trial, which demonstrated consistent efficacy and safety across multiple regions, including Japan, the US, and Europe.

Results from the trial were published in the Lancet in June 2023.

Fruzaqla had already been launched in several markets, including the US, Europe, and China, with regulatory applications underway in additional countries.

Hutchmed said it was continuing to expand fruquintinib's global footprint, offering a new therapeutic option in regions with high CRC prevalence and limited treatment choices.

At 1135 GMT, shares in Hutchmed China were up 0.71% at 283p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.