Japanese chemical industry news

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  5 May 2026

  Johnson & Johnson: TREMFYA (guselkumab), first IL‑23 inhibitor to show efficacy in perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease

  Phase 3 FUZION: Week‑24 combined fistula remission 28.3% (100 mg q8w) and 27.0% (200 mg q4w) vs 10.3% placebo; safety profile consistent; CHARGE head‑to‑head trial initiated.
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  30 April 2026

  Roche to present ophthalmology portfolio data at ARVO 2026

  ARVO 2026: real‑world data show Vabysmo reduces retinal fluid in nAMD/DME; Susvimo enables sustained delivery with lower treatment burden; early vamikibart IL‑6 results; 45+ abstracts.
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  30 April 2026

  PETRONAS, ENEOS Xplora: ENEOS to re-enter MLNG Tiga with 10% stake

  Reaffirmed long-term partnership strengthens energy security and steady LNG supply to Asia, notably Japan; underscores asset resilience and investor confidence in Malaysia’s LNG sector.
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  30 April 2026

  TotalEnergies and Nextnorth begin construction of 440 MW solar plant in Philippines

  Financial close; construction begun on 440 MWp solar in Ilagan, Isabela. Online end‑2027. Produces 13.5 TWh/20 yrs; >50% sold via long‑term C&I contracts, remainder to grid via govt auction. $300M
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  29 April 2026

  GSK Q1 2026 — Specialty Medicines Drive Growth

  Q1 sales £7.6bn (+5% CER); Specialty Medicines £3.2bn (+14%). Core operating profit +10%, Core EPS +9%. Strong cash generation; 17p Q1 dividend. 2026 guidance and >£40bn 2031 target reaffirmed.
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  29 April 2026

  UPM Q1 2026: Strong start led by decarbonization solutions

  Q1 sales €2,505m; comparable EBIT €274m (-5%); operating cash flow €89m; net debt €2,962m. Energy and biofuels strong. H1 comparable EBIT guidance €325–525m.

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  28 April 2026

  GSK: FDA grants priority review and Breakthrough Therapy for bepirovirsen

  Phase III B-Well trials showed significantly higher functional cure rates and acceptable safety in chronic hepatitis B; drug is an antisense oligonucleotide; PDUFA date 26 Oct 2026
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  28 April 2026

  Air Liquide Q1 2026: growth and record investments

  Q1 sales €6.8B (+3.4% ex-currency/energy). Gas & Services +2%; Healthcare +4%. Efficiencies €142M; operating cash flow +7%. Investments €1.5B, backlog €5.5B; DIG Airgas closed; +100bps margin target 2026.
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  28 April 2026

  Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide achieves 16.6% weight loss in Phase III obesity trial

  Trial met co-primary endpoints; 85.1% achieved ≥5% weight loss vs 38.8% placebo; weight loss mainly fat with reduced waist circumference; GI events were mild–moderate; MASH trials ongoing
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  27 April 2026

  Evonik and Higuchi open joint lab in Yokohama

  New Yokohama lab gives local formulators hands-on access to EUDRAGIT polymers, formulation support and technical services to speed oral drug development and boost regional innovation.
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  24 April 2026

  Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan and Sumitomo Chemical cleared by JFTC for Sumitomo’s PP and LLDPE integration into Prime Polymer

  MOU (Sept 2025) and definitive agreement (Dec 2025) formalize PP/LLDPE business integration; overseas antitrust reviews are ongoing and the deal will close after their clearance.
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  24 April 2026

  Chugai Q1 FY2026 Results

  Core rev ¥321.7B (+11.5%), core OP ¥163.3B (+17.1%), core net ¥118.6B (+19.6%). Launched Elevidys (DMD JP); Lunsumio+Polivy approved for LBCL. R&D: NXT007 switch, Enspryng (MOGAD), Foundayo US approval.
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  23 April 2026

  SANPLATEC selects Mitsubishi Chemical ZELAS TPS for iP-TEC cell culture tubing

  Medical-grade thermoplastic styrenic elastomer shows superior iPS cell proliferation vs PVC, tolerates autoclave and 25 kGy gamma sterilization, and is heat-sealable for closed-loop culture.
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  22 April 2026

  Chugai's FJ3 Fujieda API building wins ISPE 2026 Facility of the Year Honorable Mention

  Facility enables dual production of macrocyclic‑peptide and small‑molecule APIs with advanced automation, parallel lines, 0.03 µg/m3 containment and global-scale supply.
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  22 April 2026

  Mitsui Chemicals Expands Investment in U.S. PRT Developer Glydways

  Investment advances deployment of on-demand PRT: small autonomous EVs platooning on dedicated lanes; demos in US and UAE; investor to supply materials, parts, regulatory and market support in Asia.
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  21 April 2026

  Roche's ENSPRYNG cuts MOGAD relapse risk by 68%

  Phase III METEOROID met primary endpoint in MOGAD: treatment cut relapses vs placebo, reduced MRI lesions and rescue therapy use, showed consistent safety; data to be filed with regulators
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  21 April 2026

  Genentech Enspryng cuts MOGAD relapse risk 68% in Phase III

  METEOROID met its primary endpoint: drug delayed first relapse vs placebo, with early response (~8w), lower relapse rate, fewer MRI lesions and rescue tx; safety consistent; filings planned
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  21 April 2026

  Merck and Eisai: LITESPARK‑012 triplet regimens fail to improve PFS and OS versus KEYTRUDA+LENVIMA in first‑line RCC

  Phase 3 LITESPARK‑012 tested pembrolizumab+lenvatinib+belzutifan and a pembrolizumab+quavonlimab+lenvatinib regimen; safety profiles consistent with prior studies; full analysis ongoing.
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  21 April 2026

  Axens, IFPEN and JEPLAN validate industrial-scale textile-to-textile polyester recycling

  Semi-industrial test processed tens of tons of post-consumer polyester textiles to produce BHET monomer, validating textile-to-textile chemical recycling and enabling circular polyester loops.
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  20 April 2026

  Merck: FDA grants priority review for KEYTRUDA/KEYTRUDA QLEX with Padcev in cisplatin‑eligible MIBC

  FDA granted priority review for two sBLAs after Phase 3 KEYNOTE‑B15 showed EFS and OS benefit; PDUFA Aug 17, 2026. If approved, first perioperative options for MIBC regardless of cisplatin eligibility.
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  20 April 2026

  Asahi Kasei launches Phase I trial of AK1940 for autoimmune diseases

  Peptide-based TNFR1 antagonist discovered with PeptiDream showed activity in animal models; Japan trial began Apr 19 to evaluate PK, safety and tolerability of subcutaneous doses in healthy volunteers
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  20 April 2026

  GSK's Blenrep approved in China for 2L+ relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

  Approved with bortezomib+dexamethasone for adults after ≥1 prior line; DREAMM‑7: 3x PFS (36.6 vs 13.4m) and 42% lower death risk; outpatient ADC; ocular AEs manageable.
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  16 April 2026

  Air Liquide invests €200M in Japan to supply gases for next‑gen AI chips

  Two Hiroshima gas plants under a long-term deal will supply ultra‑pure N2, O2 and Ar by end‑2028, expanding regional footprint to support semiconductor capacity growth and R&D.
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  15 April 2026

  Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Invests in Infinium to Expand eFuels in Japan

  Impact equity will fund scaling of electrofuels made from CO2 and green hydrogen, cutting GHGs >90% vs fossil and usable as drop-in SAF to help aviation decarbonize.
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  14 April 2026

  AGC Pharma Chemicals named Best-in-Class in four CDMO Leadership Awards 2026 categories

  Selected via client evaluations and Tufts CSDD, praised for specialized staff, cultural fit, tech use and scaling support; offers cGMP CDMO services across Japan, US, EU and supports varied modalities
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  13 April 2026

  Daiichi Sankyo and Merck: FDA Priority Review for Ifinatamab Deruxtecan in ES‑SCLC

  BLA for ifinatamab deruxtecan accepted and granted FDA Priority Review for adult ES‑SCLC post‑platinum therapy; PDUFA Oct 10, 2026. Based on IDeate‑Lung01 Phase 2 (B7‑H3 DXd ADC).
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  9 April 2026

  Zenyaku Kogyo and Chugai end Rituxan co-promotion in Japan effective Sept 3, 2026

  Rituxan co-promotion in Japan ends Sept 3, 2026. One partner will cease sales on sell-out; the other assumes sole sales and medical information from Sept 4. Transition to ensure stable supply.
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  8 April 2026

  GSK’s Exdensur approved in China for CRSwNP

  China approves Exdensur (depemokimab) as biannual add-on for adults with CRSwNP uncontrolled by systemic steroids or surgery. ANCHOR trials showed reduced polyp size and obstruction; well tolerated.
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  8 April 2026

  Clariant showcases sustainable plastics innovations at Chinaplas 2026

  PFAS-free PPAs for film extrusion and food contact; halogen/antimony‑free Exolit OP 1266 for 800V+ e‑mobility; rice‑bran wax food‑approved additives; titanium catalysts to replace antimony
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  6 April 2026

  Chugai: Study in Blood Identifies Complement-Activated ITP Subgroup

  Joint Osaka Univ study published in Blood finds three ITP platelet‑destruction mechanisms and suggests a simple clinical test to identify patients who may benefit from complement inhibitors.