UPDATE 1-Bayer gets Japan approval for kidney cancer drug

TOKYO, Jan 28 (Reuters) - German drug maker Bayer AG (BAYG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Monday its drug Nexavar had been approved in Japan for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer, beating rival makers of similar therapies to the market here.

Nexavar, which Bayer and co-developer Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) hope will fuel earnings growth, has already been approved in the United States and Europe for kidney cancer.

In the United States, Nexavar competes with Wyeth's (WYE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Torisel and Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Sutent.

Around 200,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with kidney cancer every year and more than 100,000 die from the tough-to-treat disease. In Japan, some 10,000 patients are estimated to be suffering from kidney cancer.

Japanese health authorities also granted priority review status for Nexavar last week to treat liver cancer. It has been approved for treating liver cancer in the United States and Europe.

Nexavar, which comes in pill form, is also being tested for several other types of cancer including non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer. (Reporting by Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Hugh Lawson)