REGULATORY
    Provider-Payer Tug-of-War Takes Shape over FY2027 Drug Price Revision
    By Hayate Horiguchi October 8, 2026
    Debate over Japan’s FY2027 off-year drug price revision shifted into high gear on October 7, with healthcare providers pushing for savings from price cuts to be channeled back into medical fees and payers eyeing a…

    LATEST

    Parexel Revs Up AI Drive, Targets 6-Month Trial Time Cut
    October 8, 2026
    Parexel International sees artificial intelligence potentially shaving as much as six months off clinical trial timelines as the global CRO steps up its use of AI and other digital tools to accelerate drug development and…
    3 Pharma Groups Press Government to Rethink CEA Expansion
    October 8, 2026
    Three major Japanese, US, and European pharma groups are urging the government to revisit plans to expand price cuts under Japan’s cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) system after a key reimbursement panel backed the move last week.In…
    Imulrio Finally Set for NHI Listing after 296-Day Wait; Zero Rule Strikes Again
    October 8, 2026
    Eli Lilly’s breast cancer drug Imulrio (imlunestrant) is finally joining Japan’s NHI price list on October 14, nearly 300 days after its regulatory approval, with a reimbursement panel member questioning whether the lengthy wait runs…

    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

    Japan Moves to Break Plasma Product Capacity Crunch with Factory Aid
    By Takashi Ebisawa

    Japan’s plasma-derived product industry is approaching a turning point as the government prepares to step in with unprecedented support for…

    COLUMN

    Outside the Bubble: Lunch with Pharma Delegates
    By Philip Carrigan

    The Wednesday TableShe had been on virtual calls since eight in the morning. The screen glowed. Her eyes burned. Plugged into Teams across time zones, she was digitally connected yet entirely isolated from the reality of Japan’s pharma market.She needed…

    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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