BUSINESS
    Kyowa Kirin’s New Skipper Sees Further Growth Overseas, Vows to Cherish People
    By Kohei Hori May 1, 2025
    Kyowa Kirin has grown into a global player over the past decade, now reeling in as much as 70% of its sales from overseas. The company’s new president and COO Abdul Mullick says this ratio…

    LATEST

    Kyowa Kirin CEO Will Now Focus on Strategic Matters and External Dialogue
    May 1, 2025
    After a leadership change earlier this year, Kyowa Kirin’s chairman and CEO Masashi Miyamoto says he can spend more time than ever on strategic matters and relationship-building with outside stakeholders, with his successor now receiving…
    Japan Pharma Sales Creep Up to 10.8 Trillion in FY2024: Encise
    May 1, 2025
    Ethical drug sales in Japan in FY2024 between April 2024 and March 2025 edged up 0.6% over the previous year to 10,797.4 billion yen on an NHI price basis, according to an annual snapshot report released by Encise on April…
    Paxlovid Filed for Pediatric Label Expansion in Japan: Pfizer
    May 1, 2025
    Pfizer Japan said on April 28 that it has filed its oral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) for a wider label to include its use in children six years of age and older who weigh at…

    COLUMN

    The Evolution of HR: From BP to Agile
    By Philip Carrigan

    The traditional HR Business Partner (HRBP) model, once the gold standard for HR delivery, is undergoing a significant transformation. Many organizations, particularly in industries like pharmaceuticals, are moving towards a more agile resource model, aiming to streamline HR operations and…

    COMMENTARY

    How Will Japan Deal with Expected Cost Spike with Japan-Made Antibiotic APIs?
    By Takashi Ebisawa

    Japan relies almost entirely on China for the APIs of β-lactam antibiotics. These drugs are essential for treating infectious diseases…

    Discussions on Next PMD Act Amendment

    Japan Cabinet Approves Bill to Amend PMD Act

    The Japanese government approved a bill to amend the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (PMD) Act at its Cabinet meeting on…

    Drug Approval & Reimbursement in 2024

    Japan Approves Zepbound, Qalsody, and Lots More Drugs

    Japan’s health ministry doled out regulatory approvals for a throng of new medicines on December 27 including Eli Lilly’s obesity…

    Chuikyo Debate on Off-Year Drug Price Revisions

    Chuikyo OKs Outline of FY2025 Off-Year Drug Price Revision
    By Ken Yoshino

    Japan’s key reimbursement policy panel on December 25 approved an outline of the FY2025 drug price revision, finalizing plans to…

    TRENDS

    Top 10 PHARMA JAPAN Articles of 2024

    For the first time in many years, Japan appeared to have pivoted to a pro-innovation path with the FY2024 drug pricing reform. All eyes were apparently on this course change as seen in this year’s most-read story list, though the…

    MHLW Panel on Generic Industry Structure

    MHLW Panel Draws Up Plans for Generic Industry Shakeup in Final Report

    A Japanese health ministry panel discussing the generic industry structure on May 22 put together a report in which it…

    MHLW Panel on Pharmaceutical Regulations

    Regulation Panel’s Final Report Specifies Exemptions for All-Case PMS

    The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) posted the final report compiled by its pharmaceutical regulation panel on its website on April 24, providing cases of drugs that could be exempted from all-case post marketing surveillance (PMS).The MHLW plans…

    Chuikyo on FY2024 Reimbursement Reform

    Chuikyo OKs Outline of FY2024 Drug Pricing Reform; No Unprofitability Re-Pricing for 7%-Plus Price Gap

    Japan’s all-important reimbursement policy panel on December 20 approved an outline of drug pricing reforms for FY2024, which enshrines a…

    MHLW Expert Panel on Comprehensive Policies

    Expert Panel Broadly OKs Draft Report on Pharma Policies, Further Deliberations by Other Forums
    By Yoshinori Sagehashi

    The Japanese health ministry’s expert panel tasked to discuss comprehensive policies for the rapid and stable supply of pharmaceuticals generally…

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