Annual Report 2009 - Daiichi Sankyo

United States
DAIICHI SANKYO, INC. (DSI)
Market Trends
While the United States remains the largest pharmaceutical market
in the world, the expiration of patents on many major products, a
decrease in the number of newly marketed products, the impact
of slack economic conditions, and other factors restrained market
growth in 2008 to a slower rate than that of the global market, just
as in 2007.
Despite the harshness of its operating environment, Daiichi
Sankyo, Inc. (DSI), was able to record robust sales of antihypertensive
Benicar (Olmesartan), Benicar HCT*, and antihyperlipidemic
agent Welchol, which was approved for the additional indication
of type 2 diabetes in January 2008. In addition, sales of AZOR**
showed a large increase. Consequently, DSI achieved net sales of
¥129.3 billion in fiscal 2008. In local currency terms, sales amounted
to US$1,286 million, up 15.8% from fiscal 2007, a growth rate
considerably greater than that of the U.S. market overall.
** Benicar HCT is a combination of Olmesartan and the diuretic
Hydrochlorothiazide.
** AZOR is a combination of Olmesartan and the calcium channel blocker
Amlodipine.
Further Sustained Growth in Sales of Olmesartan
Antihypertensive Olmesartan is included in three products—
Benicar, Benicar HCT, and AZOR. Since the 2002 launch of
Benicar, Olmesartan has been considered a best-in-class
antihypertensive with distinctively strong blood pressure reduction,
and it has been used in the treatment of a great many
patients. As part of our product life-cycle management strategy
for Olmesartan, we plan to submit a New Drug Application for
Joseph P. Pieroni
President and CEO, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
CS-8635—a combination of three antihypertensives: Olmesartan,
Amlodipine, and Hydrochlorothiazide—to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) during 2009.
Effient a Highly Promising Product
On July 10, 2009, the FDA approved antiplatelet agent Prasugrel
(Effient) for the reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events
(including stent thrombosis) in patients with acute coronary syndrome
who are managed with an artery-opening procedure
known as percutaneous coronary intervention. Prasugrel is a highly
promising drug that has demonstrated superior efficacy in direct
comparison with Clopidogrel, which is one of the world’s topselling
products and a standard product used in conventional
antiplatelet therapy. DSI and its partner Eli Lilly and Company have
begun co-promoting Prasugrel under the brand name Effient.
Expecting Effient to be a major product, DSI had completed its
sales force expansion program in advance by the end of 2008.
With high-added-value products on the market and in the development
pipeline in the area of cardiovascular disease, DSI continues
to advance toward its goal of becoming a leader in
cardiovascular therapies in the United States.
DSI’s Net Sales of Key Products (¥ billion)
150
Benicar/Benicar HCT
AZOR
Welchol
Others
126.9 129.3
100
76.6
110.9
19.3
22.7
24.5
2.5 8.7
50
14.8
50.3
77.2
87.9
87.4
0
FY2005*
FY2006**
FY2007
FY2008
** FY2005 results are simple totals of the figures of the U.S. subsidiaries of the former Sankyo Co., Ltd., and the former Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
** DSI’s FY2006 results are based on sales for 15 months (¥130.4 billion) due to a change in accounting period. To facilitate comparison, the graph has been adjusted
to show a 12-month-period result.
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Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Annual Report 2009