Japan PAFSC review of escitalopram ahead; Indonesia eyes joining TPP;

> Japan's Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council's First Committee on Drugs will review escitalopram for an additional indication of social anxiety disorder on Oct. 30, a MHLW spokesman said. PAFSC will also look at marketing approval for Fuji Pharma's progesterone vaginal capsules and a new indication for Nihon Pharmaceutical's Kenketsu Glovenin-I for IV injection. Website

> The Japan Unit of Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY) was asked by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to revise package inserts for hepatitis C drugs Daklinza and Sunvepra to add interstitial pneumonia as a clinically significant adverse drug reaction. Website

> Indonesia intends to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Reuters reported, saying the country's president, Joko Widodo, felt his country should be a part of the now-12-nation pact because it is the largest economy in Southeast Asia. The TPP is intended to smooth trade flows among the partners, but critics have said it will hurt developing countries because it could take longer for biologic drugs to reach the market in generic or "biosimilar" form. Report

> Asia-focused DKSH Business Unit Healthcare said it will provide Sweden's Mölnlycke Health Care's distribution and logistics services for their wound-care products in Malaysia. Swiss-headquartered DKSH said Mölnlycke offers a wide range of single-use products for healthcare workers to minimize infection and promote healing. Release

> Seattle Genetics and Takeda Pharmaceutical said they have completed their target patient enrollment in their Phase III ECHELON-1 clinical trial to evaluate their drug Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Release

> Bio Blast Pharma said its experimental drug Cabaletta has shown to be effective in treating the rare muscle-wasting disorder oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy. The company is also testing the drug as a treatment for a genetic condition that affects brain nerves. Report

> Natco Pharma said it is now selling its hepatitis C generic drug Hepcinat LP in Nepal. Report

> China's Direct Genomics said it has developed a single-molecule genome sequencer designed for clinical use that will save time and expense because it does not require a person's DNA to be amplified prior to being sequenced. Release

> Taiwan-based TWi Biotechnology said it has received South Korea patent notice for AC-201, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts or active metabolites for treatment of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The biotech is a unit of TWi Pharmaceuticals. Release

> Japan's Astellas Pharma said it has dosed the first patient in a Phase III registration trial for candidate ASP2215 (gilteritinib) compared to salvage chemotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Release