REGULATORY
    Keytruda to Get 17.5% Price Cut in February
    November 13, 2019
    US Merck’s PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) will see its price slashed by 17.5% in February next year under a Japanese re-pricing rule that is basically applied for drugs with better-than-projected sales, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) said…

    LATEST

    Ajinomoto, Kanagawa Cancer Center Team Up for Research for Next-Gen Treatment/Diagnosis Technology
    November 14, 2019
    Ajinomoto said on November 13 that it has entered into a subcontracting research and development agreement with Kanagawa Cancer Center to carry out joint research for the development of the next generation treatment and diagnosis of cancer.The joint research will…
    Rohto to Snap Up Nitten Pharmaceutical to Tap Into Ethical Eye Drop Arena
    November 14, 2019
    Rohto Pharmaceutical, a leading Japanese maker of consumer eye care products, said on November 13 that it is buying Nitten Pharmaceutical in a bid to beef up its ophthalmic business. The companies entered into a share transfer agreement on the…
    Half of R&D Money Going towards Cancer Meds, Exec Says Oncology Will Be GSK’s “Next Respiratory”
    November 13, 2019
    Four years after divesting its oncology franchise to Novartis in a global asset swap, GlaxoSmithKline is ratcheting up its drive to rebuild its presence in the competitive sector by plowing a massive R&D investment. Axel…

    COMMENTARY

    Pharma’s Downsizing Bandwagon Shows No Sign of Slowing, Companies Seeking Even Leaner Staff
    By Reiji Anasako

    Drug makers’ downsizing moves continue unabated in Japan. In the past three months alone, it was revealed that voluntary redundancy programs were being planned or launched for Pfizer, MSD, and Sanofi, affecting a total of over 600 staffers mainly in…

    INTERVIEW

    Pharma Industry Watered Down Original Proposals for Pricing Overhaul, Corrections Necessary: Kenporen Director
    By Yoshinori Sagehashi

    As Japan gears up for its next drug pricing reform in April 2020, Shoji Kono, director of the National Federation…

    TRENDS

    Sales per Drug Rep Hits Record High in FY2018 as Downsizing Speeds Up
    By Reiji Anasako

    Pharmaceutical sales per rep in Japan, a yardstick for “productivity” at drug makers, reached a record 172 million yen in FY2018, up 20 million yen from five years ago, as companies continue ramping up their job-shedding drive in a bid…

    FY2018 Earnings Roundup

    Japanese Drug Makers Beefing Up China Biz amid Regulatory Tailwind
    By Reiji Anasako

    Riding on the back of an improved regulatory environment in China, major Japanese drug makers are moving to expand their businesses in the world’s second largest pharma market. Companies are pumping up their new drug pipelines, while forging solid sales…

    Upside in Decelerating Gx Arena

    In Authorized Generic Spree, Daiichi Sankyo Espha Focuses More on “Popularization” than “Sales” When It Comes to Cancer AGs
    By Takashi Ebisawa and Tatsuya Otsuka

    Japan’s generic market is hitting a plateau soon. Incentive measures rolled out by the government since 2002 have driven its…

    My Viewpoint on CEA

    Ensuring Patient Access Was MHLW’s Top Priority for CEA Scheme: Policy Planning Director
    By Yoshinori Sagehashi

    Some seven years in the making, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) finally rolled out a cost-effectiveness assessment…

    HTA Debates in 2018-2019

    Japan to Roll Out Cost-Effectiveness Assessment Scheme in April

    Japan will go ahead with the introduction of a cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) scheme for drugs and medical devices in April…

    COLUMN

    Plant the Seeds of Success when Battling a Crisis
    By Philip Carrigan

    In my home country of Australia, there is a famous candy called “Minties”. Minties has a long-running advertising campaign, presenting comical situations, with the caption, “It’s moments like these.” The phase has become part of the Aussie vernacular, meaning in…

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