Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has granted additional approval for Novartis' Neoral (cyclosporine), the company's proprietary immunosuppressant. The agent is now available for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis.
Initially released in May 2000, Neoral is used in the treatment of organ and bone-marrow transplant patients to prevent rejection, as well as for autoimmune diseases such as Behcet's syndrome and nephritic syndrome. The drug is currently available in 100 countries worldwide.