COMMENTARY

Japan’s Trading Houses Gain Ground in Pharma, Rewriting the Industry Playbook

By Sakura Kono November 10, 2025
Japan’s general trading houses are steadily becoming a force to be reckoned with in the pharmaceutical industry — and not everyone in pharma quite knows what to make of it yet. In April, Marubeni announced it would acquire Sumitomo Pharma’s…

To read the full story

Related Article

COMMENTARY

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

By Shinya Sato

AAV (adeno-associated virus) gene therapies are moving beyond rare diseases into more prevalent conditions, with neovascular, or wet, age-related macular…

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…

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

By Ken Yoshino

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

The Japanese government approved a bill to amend the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (PMD) Act at its Cabinet meeting on…

Japan’s health ministry doled out regulatory approvals for a throng of new medicines on December 27 including Eli Lilly’s obesity…

Japan’s all-important reimbursement policy panel on December 20 approved an outline of drug pricing reforms for FY2024, which enshrines a…