Gene And Cell Therapies In Asia: Pricing, Manufacturing Stand-Out Issues in Supportive Japan Ecosystem

The Japanese environment for cell and gene therapies and regenerative medicine in general continues to be highly supportive. But will pricing pressures under the NHI scheme move to the fore as more expensive products come to market?

Gene therapy
Pricing To Emerge As Japan Cell/Gene Therapy Challenge? • Source: Shutterstock

Japan is seen as having possibly the most positive research and policy environment for gene and cell therapies globally, which can be traced back largely to reforms enacted in the wake of the 2012 Nobel Prize win by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University for his pioneering work on induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

The country is seen as having a liberal – or even too relaxed, according to some - regulatory system that...

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