On March 13, 2017 SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yoshitaka Kitao; "SBI Pharma"), a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc., engaged in the research and development of medicines using 5-ALA* (5-Aminolevulinic acid), reported that it has entered a licensing agreement with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Chairman & CEO: Osamu Nagayama; "Chugai") to grant Chugai the exclusive marketing rights of "ALAGLIO Granule 1.5g ("ALAGLIO")" in Japan for visualizing tumor tissues during resection of bladder cancer (Press release, Chugai, MAR 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234518088]). The approval for manufacture and marketing of ALAGLIO is under application.

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In a surgical procedure to remove bladder cancer called TURBT** (TransUrethral Resection of Bladder Tumor), the key is discerning cancer tissues from normal tissues and removing all the cancerous tumors only. By orally administering ALAGLIO to a patient three hours before surgery and shedding a blue excitation light on the lesion during the surgery, the cancerous portion emits red fluorescence, thereby making it easier to distinguish between cancer and normal tissues.

Through the exclusive marketing agreement, SBI Pharma and Chugai join and further strengthen the effort to speed the availability of ALAGLIO, a new therapeutic option, for patients fighting against bladder cancer and healthcare professionals.

* 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)
An amino acid produced in mitochondria. It is an important substance that serves as a functional molecule related to energy production in the form of heme and cytochromes, and its productivity is known to decrease with age. 5-ALA is contained in food such as shochu lees, red wine and Asian ginseng. It is also known as a material forming chloroplasts in plants.

** Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)
TURBT is a method to insert a surgical endoscope from the urethra without laparotomy, and resect the tumor while preserving the bladder function.