Japan Regulators Kept On Track Despite Pandemic

First Annual Price Cut Lies Ahead

While it was not as affected as some other countries, Japan still had the pandemic to deal with and regulators responded while managing to keep up regular product review work, including several world-first approvals. Coronavirus vaccine roll-outs and the first general annual reimbursement price cut are on the cards for this year. 

Tokyo Dog
The Famous Statue Of 'Hachiko' In Shibuya, Tokyo. Japan's Drug Regulators Also Remained Vigilant In A Challenging Year. • Source: Shutterstock

While the situation in 2020 was not as bad as in some other countries, Japan like the rest of the world has been grappling with the coronavirus outbreak. In the pharma policy and regulatory sphere, this meant recognizing the situation, adapting, and enacting change where impactful.

The most obvious response came in public declarations from the country’s main regulatory bodies, the Ministry of Health, Labour and...

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