August 7th, 2019
Six countries have approved edaravone for ALS treatment

NMPA approved Japan-originated ALS treatment
Edaravone in China
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) (Head Office: Osaka; President &Representative Director, CEO: Masayuki Mitsuka), announced today that Edaravone
was approved by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for an
intravenous treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd. that is MTPC’s R&D
subsidiary in China has filed it, and Tianjin Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd. that is MTPC’smanufacture and sales subsidiary in China will market Edaravone.
Edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan, June 2015, followedby South Korea, U.S., Canada and Switzerland. With China's approval, Edaravone has
been approved by six countries.
ALS is an idiopathic neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons selectivelydegenerate and vanish. Muscle strength declines throughout the entire body,including the limb, facial, and respiratory muscles, and muscular atrophy progress.
While the cause for the majority of cases is not well understood but may involve
genetic and environmental factors. It is one of the most well-known neuromusculardiseases, affecting approximately two in 100,000 people worldwide. As many as
20,000 or 30,000 people are estimated to be affected by ALS in China.
Edaravone is a free-radical scavenger that was discovered by MTPC. It is thoughtthat edaravone has the effect of scavenging free radicals, which increase in ALS,
protecting motor neurons from oxidative stress, and delaying the decline in muscle
strength and the progress of muscular atrophy.
MTPC will strive to deliver edaravone to patients fighting against ALS all over theworld.

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
Corporate Communications Department
Media contacts: TEL:+81 6 6205 5119
Investor contacts: TEL:+81 6 6205 5110

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<Reference>■ About edaravone
Edaravone is a free-radical scavenger that was discovered by Mitsubishi Tanabe
Pharma. It was approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare inApril 2001 as a treatment agent for the acute stage of cerebral infarction. In Japan,
it is being marketed under the product name RADICUT®. Edaravone has the effectof scavenging free radicals that arise accompanying cerebral ischemia, controlling
the lipid peroxidation reaction, and protecting neurons in the region of the ischemia
and the surrounding region. Accordingly, it is thought that edaravone has the effectof scavenging free radicals, which increase in ALS, protecting motor neurons fromoxidative stress, and delaying the decline in muscle strength and the progress ofmuscular atrophy.

■ About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned
subsidiary founded by MTPC in Beijing, China, in 2006. The company is engaged inself-promoted clinical development aimed at receiving marketing approval ofpharmaceuticals in China. As a key base of the MTPC group in China, it promotes
business in China by developing new drugs and receiving their approval in thecountry, thereby seeking to enhance MTPC's corporate value.

■ About Tianjin Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd.
Tianjin Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd. was founded in Tianjin, China, in 1993 throughjoint financing from Tianjin Lisheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and MTPC. The
company is engaged in the manufacture and sales of pharmaceuticals in China. As
a core company of the MTPC group in China, the company seeks to contribute to
medical needs in China through the manufacture and sales of high quality
pharmaceuticals

withtheMTPC

brand,

particularly

cardiovascular

gastrointestinal drugs, and anti-allergic agents for patients in China.

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drugs,