German pharmaceutical giant Bayer said Thursday it would apply for a licence to sell its blood-thinning drug Xarelto, also known as Rivaroxaban, in Japan.
The firm said it had sent its request to the health ministry in Japan. In January it applied for a licence in the European Union and in the United States.
The drug has already been approved in more than 100 countries worldwide and launched in more than 80 countries, Bayer said.
Rivaroxaban has been used in tests to treat thrombosis or blood clots following hip and knee operations.
The commercial potential of the drug worldwide is estimated at more than two billion euros (2.9 billion dollars).
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