OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2012. Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo), today announced that it has filed for approval in Japan to market AMG 162 (denosumab), a gene recombinant drug for osteoporosis.

Denosumab is the world’s first fully human monoclonal antibody to target RANK Ligand, an essential mediator of osteoclast formation, function and survival approved for therapeutic use. Daiichi Sankyo has been working on denosumab since 2007, when it licensed the rights from Amgen to develop and market this antibody in Japan.

Daiichi Sankyo is participating in the global phase III trial of adjuvant treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer, and is conducting phase II trials for Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis and giant cell tumor of bone, respectively.

Daiichi Sankyo received approval in Japan on January 18th 2012 to market RANMARKⓇ as treatment for bone complications stemming from multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors.

With denosumab, Daiichi Sankyo aims to benefit patients and medical professionals by providing a new approach to therapy for osteoporosis.