BUSINESS

Astellas Starts Global PIII of ASP2138 in Gastric Cancer

August 26, 2026
Astellas Pharma said on August 25 that the first patient has been dosed in a global PIII study of its bispecific antibody ASP2138 as a first-line treatment for CLDN18.2-positive/HER2-negative advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. The trial will evaluate…

To read the full story

BUSINESS

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) on March 5 unveiled the revised NHI prices for drugs subject to…

By Philip Carrigan

The Wednesday TableShe had been on virtual calls since eight in the morning. The screen glowed. Her eyes burned. Plugged into Teams across time zones, she was digitally connected yet entirely isolated from the reality of Japan’s pharma market.She needed…

By Shinya Sato

The development of Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide is gathering pace, putting the GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist in contention to become the next…

Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) on November 5 approved the reimbursement listing for a slate of new medicines,…

By Ken Yoshino

The Japanese government on March 7 announced new NHI prices to be applied in the FY2025 drug price revision, revealing…

The Japanese government approved a bill to amend the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (PMD) Act at its Cabinet meeting on…

Japan’s health ministry doled out regulatory approvals for a throng of new medicines on December 27 including Eli Lilly’s obesity…

Japan’s all-important reimbursement policy panel on December 20 approved an outline of drug pricing reforms for FY2024, which enshrines a…