Nikkei up 0.8 pct, Chugai Pharm jumps on earnings

TOKYO, Oct 24 (Reuters) Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.8 percent on Wednesday following gains on Wall Street, with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd posting the biggest one-day percentage gain in almost two years on strong results.

The benchmark Nikkei ended the morning session up 128.01 points at 16,578.59. The broader TOPIX index was up 1 percent at 1,586.47.

Reuters AK VP0750