NEW YORK (AP) -- Johnson & Johnson said Thursday it plans to file for approval of 11 new drugs by 2015 as it moves to expand its pharmaceutical business.
The New Brunswick, New Jersey, company is seeking approval for products including the prostate cancer drug abiraterone, blood thinner rivaroxaban, HIV drug TMC-278 and hepatitis C therapy telaprevir. It is in the process of launching six recently approved products, and plans to seek about 30 extensions on older product lines.
Telaprevir was approved in the U.S. Friday under the name Incivek. Johnson & Johnson has the rights to the drug in Europe, where it has not yet been approved. Vertex Pharmaceuticals owns the North American rights.
The company said it is trying to strengthen its business in Japan and plans to launch seven products there this year. Japan is the largest pharmaceutical market in the world after the U.S.
Johnson & Johnson, which also makes products ranging from baby shampoo to Band-Aids, derived $22.4 billion in sales last year from pharmaceutical products, more than a third of its total revenue.
Johnson & Johnson is holding an investor meeting Thursday. Its shares fell 64 cents to $65.65 in premarket trading.