BUSINESS
    Medipal Names Imagawa as New CEO in 1st Leadership Change in 14 Years
    September 9, 2026
    Medipal Holdings will install Kuniaki Imagawa as its new CEO on October 1, replacing longtime chief Shuichi Watanabe in its first leadership change in 14 years as the drug wholesaler gears up for a new…

    LATEST

    Defense Chief Seeks MHLW Help Securing Drugs for SDF
    September 9, 2026
    Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi asked Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno on September 8 to help secure the drugs and medical supplies needed for combat casualty care as Japan moves to bolster the medical capabilities of its…
    Kyowa Kirin’s nAMD Med Misses Mark in Global PII Study
    September 9, 2026
    Kyowa Kirin said on September 8 that its investigational VEGF receptor-targeting eye drops KHK4951 failed to meet the primary endpoint in a global PII study in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), with no statistically significant…
    Belite Bio Files Stargardt Drug Tinlarebant in Japan
    September 9, 2026
    Belite Bio said on September 7 that it has filed its Stargardt disease drug candidate tinlarebant for approval in Japan, where it could become the first treatment for the rare inherited retinal disorder.The filing, which follows the acceptance of the…

    Chuikyo Debate on FY2026 Drug Pricing Reform

    Romiplate to See Steepest Cut in April Market Expansion Re-Pricing

    Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) on March 5 unveiled the revised NHI prices for drugs subject to…

    COMMENTARY

    As US Pushes Global Cost Rebalancing, Can Japan Answer with Drug Prices?
    By Ken Yoshino

    Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to respond to the US most-favored-nation (MFN) drug pricing policy to safeguard timely…

    COLUMN

    The One Mistake on Your Resume
    By Philip Carrigan

    We had just gotten off a call with a client in Europe, and we’d received a bit of an earful. “Philip,” the client pressed, “what can this candidate bring to us? We know what he does, but what has he…

    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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