Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Maruho Co., Ltd. announced that Chugai has acquired the marketing approval of "Marduox® Ointment" (Marduox) for the indication of psoriasis vulgaris, which has been jointly developed by Chugai and Maruho.
Marduox is a topical preparation combining maxacalcitol, an active vitamin D3 derivative developed by Chugai, and the corticosteroid betamethasone butyrate propionate. Both drugs are indicated for psoriasis vulgaris and are clinically used together or individually for the treatment of the disease. Marduox has been developed as an easy-to-use combination drug that leverages the advantages of these drugs and at the same time improves the issues associated with concomitant uses of multiple topical drugs.
In a phase III study in Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris, Marduox with once-daily topical application was confirmed to be superior to both a single use of maxacalcitol ointment (twice-daily topical application) and a single use of betamethasone butyrate propionate ointment (once-daily topical application) in terms of efficacy. With regards to safety, decrease in blood cortisol was observed as an adverse reaction; however, its severity was mild, and no significant difference was found between the single use of each individual drug.
The collaboration between Chugai and Maruho started with the launch of “Oxarol® Ointment 25μg/g” in 2001, which is a product of maxacalcitol, and followed by the launch of “Oxarol® Lotion 25μg/g” in 2007. Maruho which specializes in the dermatology area and Chugai, the originator of this product, are convinced that Marduox will provide better treatment for patients suffering from psoriasis vulgaris.
