Japan’s ruling coalition sustained a crushing blow in the Lower House election last month, only managing to win 215 seats,…
REGULATORY
Big 4 Wholesalers Faced Wrath of FTC for Allocating Priority Drug Categories before Bidding
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is pursuing its bid-rigging allegations over Big Four wholesalers because it sees it particularly problematic that the companies allocated their priority drug categories to share orders, an FTC official told Jiho on December 5.…
To read the full story
Related Article
- Mediceo Gets 6-Month Suspension from National Hospital Organization Bids
April 18, 2022
- Mediceo Dodged Charges and FTC Penalties, but Still Barred from JCHO Bids
April 12, 2022
- 3 Wholesalers Ordered to Pay 420 Million Yen in Surcharge over Bid-Rigging; JCHO to Suspend Mediceo Too
March 31, 2022
- FTC to Slap 3 Wholesalers with 420 Million Yen Surcharges over Bid-Rigging
February 7, 2022
- Guilty Rulings for 3 Wholesalers, Employees Now Final and Binding: Bid-Rigging Trial
July 19, 2021
- 3 Major Wholesalers, 7 Employees Found Guilty in Bid-Rigging Trial
July 2, 2021
- 300 Million Yen Fine Sought for Alfresa Too, Verdict on June 30: Bid-Rigging Trial
May 13, 2021
- 300 Million Yen Fine Sought for Toho Too, Court Decision Due June 2: Bid-Rigging Trial
April 30, 2021
- Prosecutors Seek 300 Million Yen Fine for Suzuken, Jail Terms for Employees: Bid-Rigging Trial
April 28, 2021
- 3 Indicted Wholesalers Barred from JCHO Bids for 2 Years: Bid-Rigging Scandal
December 14, 2020
- (Update) Criminal Charges Sought against 3 Wholesalers over Bid-Rigging, Mediceo Excluded
December 10, 2020
- Criminal Charges Sought against 3 Wholesalers over Bid-Rigging, Mediceo Excluded
December 9, 2020
- JPWA Raided Too over Big 4 Wholesalers’ Bid-Rigging Scandal
October 16, 2020
- Big 4 Wholesalers Now Suspected to Have Rigged Drug Prices in 2016 Too
October 14, 2020
- Big 4 Wholesalers Raided Again over Suspected Bid-Rigging
October 13, 2020
- JCHO Hospitals to Switch from Joint to Separate Bidding for Drug Purchases after Bid-Rigging Scandal
May 21, 2020
- “Tender Process Needs to Be Improved” in Response to Bid-Rigging Scandal by Top 4 Wholesalers: Hospital Management Advisor
February 25, 2020
- MHLW Bureau Chief Says Delay Would Be Inevitable to Revise Drug Distribution Guidelines as Bid-Rigging Probe Continues
January 17, 2020
- Wholesalers’ Bid-Rigging Scandal Might Have Been Exposed via Leniency Program, Further Cases Could Be Laid Bare: Lawyer
December 6, 2019
- Scandal-Hit JPWA Likely to Pass on Chuikyo’s Industry Hearing on Dec. 6
December 4, 2019
- Ryukaikon’s Dec. 9 Meeting Likely to Be Put Off in Wake of Bid-Rigging Scandal
December 3, 2019
- Stakeholders Rap Big 4 Wholesalers for Bid-Rigging Charges, Say Scandal Shutters Trust in Drug Price Surveys
November 29, 2019
- Big 4 Drug Wholesalers Raided on Bid-Rigging Charges
November 28, 2019
REGULATORY
- Pharma Renews Call for Abolishing Off-Year Revisions, but MHLW Stays Put with Honebuto
November 22, 2024
- Pharma Pushes to Scrap Off-Year Revisions; LDP Members Urge Fresh Talks by 4 Ministers
November 22, 2024
- Health Minister Committed to Drug Supplies, Repeats Plan to Base Off-Year Debate on Honebuto
November 21, 2024
- DPP Requests Promotion Self-Medication Tax Break in 3-Way Talks
November 21, 2024
- 3 Parties Reach Deal on Economic Plan, Off-Year “Abolition” Not Spelled Out
November 21, 2024
For over two decades, Morunda has been at the forefront of interviewing and understanding leaders within Japan’s dynamic healthcare industry, particularly in pharmaceuticals and medical devices. What sets apart successful country managers in this competitive arena isn’t just their professional…
A Japanese health ministry panel discussing the generic industry structure on May 22 put together a report in which it…
A Japanese health ministry study group focused on pharmaceutical regulations on March 21 agreed on a policy to encourage the…
The Japanese health ministry on December 22 approved a batch of medicines for additional indications, including Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s atypical antipsychotic Rexulti (brexpiprazole) and Zenyaku Kogyo’s anti-CD20 antibody Rituxan (rituximab).Rexulti is now newly indicated for the treatment of depression and depressive…
Japan’s all-important reimbursement policy panel on December 20 approved an outline of drug pricing reforms for FY2024, which enshrines a…
The Japanese health ministry’s expert panel tasked to discuss comprehensive policies for the rapid and stable supply of pharmaceuticals generally…
A key Japanese reimbursement policy panel on December 16 approved the government-backed plan for the FY2023 “off-year” drug price revision.…
Authorized generic (AG) strategies taken by innovative drug makers might help soften the impact of generic competition in their businesses but such tactics might also accelerate the application of “G1”/“G2” price cuts for their off-patent brand-name medicines, a Jiho tally…
Japan’s health ministry announced new NHI prices to be applied in April under the FY2022 drug price revision in the official gazette on March 4, with the earlier application of so-called “G1” price cuts to be implemented for the first…