Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it obtained a supplemental approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) on August 26, 2016, for the anti-cancer agent, capecitabine (Xeloda tablets 300) for the indication of “adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer.” In Japan, Xeloda is currently on the market and its approved indications are “inoperable or recurrent breast cancer,” “postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer,” “advanced or refractory colorectal cancer, which is not amenable to curative resection” and “gastric cancer.”

With this supplemental approval, the indication of Xeloda has been changed to “colorectal cancer,” covering the above indications for colon and colorectal cancer.

“Xeloda in adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer is regarded as the standard of care in several guidelines,” said Chugai’s senior vice president, head of project & lifecycle management unit, Dr. Yasushi Ito. “In addition to the current approved indications, this supplemental approval enables people with locally advanced rectal cancer to use Xeloda as well. We believe it will encourage patients to receive treatment with hope and positive thoughts.”

The “26th Review Committee on Unapproved Drugs and Indications with High Medical Needs” held on February 3, 2016, evaluated whether “public knowledge-based application” might be applicable for Xeloda in adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer. On February 26, the Second Committee on New Drugs, Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council made a decision that filing through the “public knowledge-based application” was reasonable. Given that decision, Chugai filed for Xeloda through a “public knowledge-based application” on March 2 and obtained this supplemental approval.

Xeloda was developed by Nippon Roche K.K. (currently Chugai) and has been approved in more than 100 countries worldwide. Chugai strongly believes that Xeloda will make a contribution to patients as a treatment option for “colorectal cancer.” Chugai will continue its efforts to contribute to cancer treatment.

The “Review Committee on Unapproved Drugs and Indications with High Medical Needs” was established for the purpose of enhancing development by the pharmaceutical companies of drugs and indications that have been approved for use in western countries but not yet approved in Japan, through activities such as evaluating medical needs and confirming the applicability of “public knowledge-based application” and investigating the need for studies that should be additionally conducted.

Xeloda is a registered trademark of F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd. (Switzerland).