Funguard capacity to swell on sales growth
recently launched antifungal Funguard with a capital investment of
Y3.8 billion (€28m).
Japan's Fujisawa has decided to build a new formulation plant for its recently launched candin antifungal micafungin (Japanese trade name Funguard) with a capital investment of Y3.8 billion (€28m).
The investment, to take place at the firm's Takaoka plant, comes after what the company described as "brisk" sales of the drug in Japan since its launch last December.
Fujisawa has decided to extend the formulation facilities for Funguard at Takaoka in order to increase production capacity. This facility covers both formulation and packaging of the product, while fermentation takes place at Fujisawa's site in Nagoya and synthesis is carried out in Toyama. Construction of the new facility is expected to start in August and be completed by the end of next year, with production coming on-line early in 2005.
Aside from catering for domestic demand, Fujisawa is also looking ahead to a potential roll-out of the micafungin in Europe and North America. The drug has been submitted for approval in these territories and approval is pending.
