Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. said Tuesday it will discontinue the development of a new oral drug for chronic asthma because unwanted side effects occurred in U.S. clinical tests.
The drug was found clinically effective, but three patients experienced elevations in liver enzymes that were likely related to the drug, Japan's top over-the-counter drugmaker said in a statement.
Taisho and Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. of the United States had been jointly developing the medication. Millennium was responsible for the clinical tests in the U.S.