Japanese drug makers have begun sharing quality control information on pharmaceutical excipients. About two years ago, seven companies established the Pharmaceutical Excipients GMP Audit Sharing System (PEGASS) for jointly contracting out good manufacturing practices (GMP) audits of excipient laboratories to an outside organization. Nearly 20 companies have now joined PEGASS, and they have begun sharing...
pharmaceutical
Mitsui Takes Equity in Russia’s R-Pharm to Become Strategic Partner
Mitsui & Co. Ltd. (TYO:8031) has entered into a strategic partnership with JSC R-Pharm, the largest pharmaceutical company in Russia. Mitsui will acquire 10 percent of R-Pharm’s shares for roughly 20 billion yen ($179.38 million). Leveraging this capital investment, Mitsui will support R-Pharm in introducing new drugs from Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturers as it aims to...
Japanese Pharmaceutical Industry Faces Fierce Competition to Secure Key Talent
The intensity of competition for talent looks set to increase in Japan’s pharmaceutical industry. According to Hays Specialist Recruitment Japan KK, commonly known as Hays Japan, salaries – excluding bonuses – for general managers in R&D departments and for country managers are 50 percent higher in China and Hong Kong than for those in Japan....
YMC to Complete Its Lineup of Antibody Drug Separation, Purification Products
YMC Co. Ltd. is strengthening its efforts as a supplier of separation and purification columns as well as packing media used in the manufacture of antibody pharmaceuticals. Beginning this spring, YMC will expand its ability to meet demand across a broader range of the market, with full-fledged offerings of packing media and new particle-size grades...
Industry Outlook 2017: Pharmaceuticals Part 4 – Digital Health
The digital health field is garnering much attention within the pharmaceutical industry as a growth strategy. In concert with the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile technologies, digital health is drawing investments from an increasing number of companies, with many new moves to be seen. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has established a...
Industry Outlook 2017: Pharmaceuticals Part 2 – M&As
Long-listed drugs often stem from low molecular drugs that have been an important source of revenue for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Being sought now, however, are innovative products that exhibit unprecedented effectiveness and safety. This means that securing a development pipeline is of the utmost importance. A major strategy has been using alliances and M&As to acquire...
Industry Outlook 2017: Pharmaceuticals Part 1 – Authorized Generics
The Japanese pharmaceutical industry is facing a difficult business situation, as the government is pushing for more widespread use of lower priced generic drugs in an attempt to hold down rising medical costs as the country’s population ages. These circumstances have given rise to growing interest in authorized generics, by which generic drug makers obtain...
Pharmaceutical Industry Feels Deep Impact With 2016 Drug Pricing Reform
An aspect with huge impact from the 2016 drug pricing system reform has been the provision for exceptional reprising. Implemented in April, the newly adopted system provides for price reductions of up to 25 percent on drugs that exceed sales projections by 50 percent or more and generate annual sales above 100 billion yen ($847.46...
Fujimori Kogyo Seeks to Broaden Application, Increase Sales of Gloveboxes
Fujimori Kogyo Co. Ltd. (TYO:7917) aims to broaden the application and increase sales of its gloveboxes, which prevent dust from scattering by creating an environment isolated from the outside air. These gloveboxes use an antistatic polyethylene (PE) film that is difficult for dust to adhere to and reduces the risk of foreign matter contamination. Gloveboxes...
Fujifilm to Invest in China’s Second Largest Pharmaceutical Company
Fujifilm Holdings Corp. (TYO:4901) will invest in China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., the second largest pharmaceutical company in China. Fujifilm has reached an agreement to subscribe for HK$820 million ($105.67 million) of ordinary shares in China Resources Pharmaceutical Group pursuant to its new listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK). China Resources Pharmaceutical...
Indian Manufacturer Steer Engineering to Boost Investment in Japan
Steer Engineering Pvt. Ltd., a major manufacturer of co-rotating twin screw extruders headquartered in Bangalore, India, will invest about 2.5 billion yen ($24.27 million) in Japan over the next 10 years. The announcement came from President and CEO Atanu Maity in a press conference in Tokyo at the end of August, during which Maity additionally...
Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Record Sales Increase of Over 8%, First Time in 27 Years
Pharmaceutical wholesalers in fiscal 2015 saw an 8.3 percent sales rise over the previous term, with stronger sales of hepatitis C treatment drugs contributing to the increase. It was the first time in 27 years that an annual increase of over 8 percent was recorded. According to results from a survey on member companies that...
