AZ's Lynparza receives Japanese approval

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) approved Lynparza olaparib from AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) and partner Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) as a maintenance therapy to treat platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer, regardless of BRCA mutation status, in patients who responded to their last platinum-based chemotherapy. The companies said it is the first PARP inhibitor approved in Japan.

AstraZeneca told BioCentury it does not have pricing for the drug at this time, but expects reimbursement to begin in April...