TOKYO, November 24, 2022 -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Osamu Okuda] (hereafter, Chugai) and Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. [Head Office: Tokyo, President: Shigeru Uehara] (hereafter, Taisho) announced that Chugai, Taisho, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (hereafter, Roche) entered into an agreement to transfer the business in Japan concerning the ibandronate sodium hydrate injection [brand name: Bonviva^® Injection 1 mg Syringe] and the oral formulation [brand name: Bonviva^® Tablet 100 mg] (collectively “Bonviva”), from Roche and Chugai to Taisho. The closing of the transaction is expected to take place after certain conditions including approvals from relevant authorities are fulfilled. Chugai in-licensed Bonviva from Roche and is the marketing authorization holder in Japan.

Chugai and Taisho concluded an agreement in 2006 to co-develop and co-market Bonviva in Japan. After conducting clinical studies in Japan, the two companies have been jointly marketing Bonviva since the launch of the injection in 2013. In consideration of the maturity of the product lifecycle, Chugai, Taisho, and Roche revisited the marketing of Bonviva in Japan and concluded that Taisho should solely market Bonviva after transferring assets related to Bonviva that are owned by Roche and Chugai, including the marketing authorization and intellectual property rights (patents and trademarks, etc.), to Taisho.

Following the signing of the asset purchase agreement, Taisho and Chugai will proceed with the necessary administrative and legal procedures for the completion of the transaction. The transfer of the marketing authorization is scheduled to take place on April 3, 2023. Taisho will be solely responsible for the marketing of and information provision activities for Bonviva in Japan thereafter.

Taisho and Chugai will cooperate to achieve a smooth transfer of the marketing authorization regarding Bonviva.