BUSINESS
    Moderna Japan Looks Beyond COVID for Next Growth Pillars
    By Hayate Horiguchi June 9, 2026
    Moderna Japan is looking to build on a revamped COVID-19 vaccine franchise to fund its next phase of growth, as the company seeks to broaden its business beyond pandemic-era products and invest in future opportunities…

    LATEST

    20 Years at a Glance: Overseas Sales Surge at Japan Pharma, but R&D Investments Lag
    June 9, 2026
    Japan’s pharmaceutical industry has become a global business over the past two decades. Overseas markets now make up nearly three-quarters of sales at major Japanese drug makers, compared with just one-third in the mid-2000s, underscoring…
    Oncolys Targets 300 Hospitals for Telomelysin Rollout
    June 9, 2026
    Oncolys BioPharma aims to eventually make its newly approved oncolytic virus therapy Telomelysin (suratadenoturev) available at around 300 hospitals in Japan, extending beyond major cancer centers to include mid-sized and larger medical institutions.President and CEO…
    MHLW Lifts Part of Approval Conditions for Takeda’s Vyvanse
    June 9, 2026
    Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) on June 8 lifted part of the approval conditions attached to Takeda Pharmaceutical’s pediatric ADHD treatment Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine mesilate).The ministry removed a condition requiring the manufacturer to…

    Chuikyo Debate on FY2026 Drug Pricing Reform

    Chuikyo OKs New CEA Handling, with Third-Party Verification Ahead

    Japan’s cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) panel has approved a revised handling policy for the CEA system for FY2026, with the health…

    COMMENTARY

    Are Technical Discussions Enough for Japan’s CEA System?
    By Ken Yoshino

    Japan is finally launching technical discussions on its cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) system. A health ministry-funded research group is set to…

    COLUMN

    The Patient North Star: How Gilead Japan Redefined Innovation
    By Philip Carrigan

    In the complex landscape of the Japanese pharmaceutical market, the “status quo” is often the safest harbor. But for leaders like Kennet Brysting, former president of Gilead Japan, the status quo is the most dangerous place to stay.Innovation in Japan…

    Drug Approval & Reimbursement in 2025

    Chuikyo OKs Listing of Novartis’ Pluvicto, Peak Sales Outlook at 42.1 Billion Yen

    Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) on November 5 approved the reimbursement listing for a slate of new medicines,…

    Chuikyo Debate on Off-Year Drug Price Revisions

    MHLW Unveils New List Prices for FY2025 Revision; Stelara, Januvia Hit by PMP Return
    By Ken Yoshino

    The Japanese government on March 7 announced new NHI prices to be applied in the FY2025 drug price revision, revealing…

    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 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…

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