Distributor Recommends Stopping Use of Amgen Drug Tavneos in Japan

The distributor that sells Amgen’s drug Tavneos in Japan is recommending that doctors stop prescribing it. The move increases pressure on the company over a medicine that has drawn attention from health regulators in several countries. The drug is approved for the treatment of microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Health regulators worldwide have been examining the safety and efficacy profile of the treatment. The distributor’s recommendation follows those reviews. Amgen has faced questions about the medicine in multiple markets. The company continues to market the drug in the United States and other approved territories.

The distributor’s communication to physicians in Japan represents a significant restriction on the medicine’s availability in that country. Physicians there are now being advised against initiating new prescriptions or continuing existing ones. No specific timeline for potential regulatory decisions in other countries was provided.

The drug’s performance in clinical use remains under evaluation by authorities.