Japan’s cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) panel has approved a revised handling policy for the CEA system for FY2026, with the health…
REGULATORY
OTC-Like Drugs Left in Limbo as Panel Debates Cost-Sharing without Clear Policy Signal
Japan’s health ministry stopped short of presenting a clear policy direction on “OTC-like” prescription drugs at a Social Security Council meeting on December 18, instead flagging the issue as “pending” in a discussion summary, with committee members still at odds…
To read the full story
Related Article
- MHLW Names 77 Active Ingredients for OTC-Like Drug Charges
December 26, 2025
- Panel Backs Extra Charges for OTC-Like Drugs While Keeping Coverage, but Design Details Still Divisive
November 28, 2025
- Patient Groups Push Back against Delisting OTC-Like Drugs; Panel Leans Toward Higher Copays
November 21, 2025
- MHLW Weighs Higher Copay Ratios for LLPs; 1/2 to Full Gap on the Table
November 7, 2025
- MHLW Outlines 4 Key Themes for 2026 Reform, Eyes OTC-Like Meds, CEA for Efficiency
October 24, 2025
- MHLW Panel Launches Full Debate on Drug Coverage Reform; LLPs, Biologics, OTC-Like Meds in Focus
October 17, 2025
- Panel Split on Delisting OTC-Like Drugs from Insurance Coverage
October 3, 2025
- Panel Flags Concern over Drug-Only Focus in Proposed Cost-Cuts for 2026 Reform
September 29, 2025
REGULATORY
- LDP Pharma Project Team to Compile Roadmap Proposals after Industry Hearings
April 17, 2026
- DPJ Leader to Urge Drug Price Hikes, “Freeze” on Off-Year Revisions
April 17, 2026
- War-Linked Supply Impact Cases Climb to 34 as Japan Steps Up Response
April 17, 2026
- Meiji Pharma Chair Prods Drug Price Hikes as War Drives Up Costs: Diet
April 17, 2026
- Japan Eases Documentation Requirements for Excipients Listed in Foreign Pharmacopoeias
April 17, 2026
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 FY2026 drug pricing reform is set to usher in a new phase for the generics market, effectively bringing an…
Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) on November 5 approved the reimbursement listing for a slate of new medicines,…
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…