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ARTICLE | Company News

Chugai delays Japanese Kadcyla launch on pricing hiccup

November 15, 2013 2:02 AM UTC

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4519) said it postponed the price listing of Kadcyla trastuzumab emtansine on Japan's National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement list after the company and Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) could not agree on the "medical value" of the breast cancer drug. The pharma -- which has not launched the drug in the country -- said it plans to start a clinical trial in late January to provide Kadcyla in Japan while it continues to discuss Kadcyla's value and price with MHLW, which approved Kadcyla in September to treat inoperable or recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer. Chugai had been planning to list the drug this month. ...