REGULATORY

Ishin Urges Takaichi to Revisit OTC-Like Drug Coverage, Softens Savings Target

December 5, 2025
The Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin) submitted a social security reform proposal to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on December 4 ahead of the FY2026 budget process, calling for a review of out-of-pocket cost rules for drugs including so-called “OTC-like” prescription…

To read the full story

Related Article

REGULATORY

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) on March 5 unveiled the revised NHI prices for drugs subject to…

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…

By Shinya Sato

The development of Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide is gathering pace, putting the GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist in contention to become the next…

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…