GSK Ends Advair Co-Promotion With Mistubishi Tanabe
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
GlaxoSmithKline will end a co-promotion deal with Mitsubishi Tanabe for Advair (fluticasone/salmeterol) by the end of July. Starting in August, GSK will be the sole marketer of the drug in Japan. The co-promotion started last April when GSK signed up Mitsubishi to promote Advair as the top treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Japan. One year later, GSK said it had achieved the goal demonstrated by raised product awareness among medical facilities. Advair Japanese domestic sales reached ¥37.6 billion last year. The drug faces increasing competition in the dry powder inhaler market from Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol), which is being co-promoted by AstraZeneca and Astellas. Launched in January, Symbicort sales reached ¥1.5 billion at the end of March. (Click here for more - Japanese language) "GSK To Solely Market Adoair From August" - CB News (7/2/2010)