Japan

Bain To Acquire Mitsubishi Tanabe In $3.4bn Deal

 

US private equity group to buy Japanese pharma firm in a transaction scheduled to close by September that marks owner's exit from pharma.

Sun On Progressing Antibe’s Non-Opioid Analgesic, Challenges In Japan

 

Sun Pharma sees opportunities for Antibe’s otenaproxesul in the US and emerging markets and aims to get the clinical hold on the novel NSAID lifted. The firm is also focusing on its specialty business in Japan, amid pricing challenges for long-listed products.

Japan Results Roundup: Global Mainstays And Forex Boost Top Lines

 
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Mostly strong global sales of mainstay drugs, along with a forex boost, helped Japan's major pharma firms in the fiscal third quarter and calendar year.

Takeda Names Kim New CEO As It Reports Solid Q3

 
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Leading Japanese pharma firm names first ever woman chief exec as it reports a jump in operating profit in the fiscal nine months, led by Entyvio.


Meiji Seika Pharma Files Japan Lawsuit Over Kostaive Misinformation

 
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The Japanese pharma firm has sued a politician claiming defamatory actions on social media around its novel COVID-19 vaccine.

Amgen Fortifies JAPAC Presence Despite Political, Policy Uncertainties

 
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US firm is using a mix of partnerships and direct presence to build its operations in Asia, which will focus on novel drugs.

Sumitomo In Cell Therapy Pivot With New JV, US Sales Push

 
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The struggling Japanese pharma group is aiming to grow its new cell therapy business in the US and Japan to $2.3bn by the late 2030s.

GenAI Gains Ground In Japanese Pharma

 
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Several Japanese pharma firms are developing use cases for GenAI beyond R&D, in some cases boosting their capabilities with an Nvidia-backed supercomputer platform.


Teva Divests Takeda JV, Pivots To Innovative Drugs In Japan

 
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The divestment decision comes years after it slimmed down amid challenges in the Japanese generic market.

Japan H1 Roundup: Forex Impact, Strong Global Mainstays Positive Factors

 

Takeda, Astellas, Daiichi Sankyo, Chugai, Shionogi all revised their annual forecasts upwards due to forex rate impact and saw mostly solid overseas sales growth in the fiscal first half.

Japan Ventures Progress Cell And Gene Candidates For ALS, Severe Conditions

 
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Multiple Japanese ventures presented updates on their novel pipeline assets and modalities at BioJapan, including cell and gene therapies and combination treatments, despite lingering financing challenges.

Biopharma Excellence Celebrated At Citeline Japan Awards

 
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Excellence, innovation, deal-making and personal achievement across the Japanese biopharma sector were celebrated at the Citeline Japan Awards 2024, held in Tokyo on 22 October.


Meiji Considers Legal Action Amid Japan Misinformation On Kostaive Vaccine

 
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Japanese distributor Meiji Seika Pharma is considering possible legal action against what it views as online slander around COVID-19 vaccine Kostaive, which received its global-first approval in Japan last year and has now been launched for regular vaccination in the country.

Publisher's Spotlight: Shortlist Unveiled For Citeline Japan Awards

 
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Following consideration by our independent expert judging panel, the final shortlist of entries has now been revealed for the Citeline Japan Awards 2024. Join us at the event in Tokyo on 22 October! 

Nxera: Building To Become Japan’s Global Biotech Champion

 

CEO Chris Cargill talks to Scrip about Sosei Heptares’ new identity as Nxera, the ups and downs of being big pharma’s go-to small-molecule drug hunter and its move into commercialization in Japan.

Santen Fortifies Glaucoma Strategy With Sepetaprost Japan Filing

 
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The dual agonist of the FP and EP3 receptors has shown efficacy in a Japanese Phase III trial and completed its US Phase II study, which aligns with the Japanese firm’s global expansion strategy for glaucoma products.


Taisho Makes Japan Vornorexant Filing, Hopes To Dent Insomnia Market

 
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Taisho’s in-house insomnia therapeutic candidate vornorexant offers a potential advantage of a shorter half-life compared to its competitors, which can contribute to patients’ QOL.

Progress Or Hype? A Decade Of Cell Therapy In Japan

 
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After 10 years of promised investment following its Nobel Prize for iPS cell research, Japan is cautiously narrowing regulations around the conditional approval of cell therapies and cutting some reimbursement prices. Commercial success remains mixed and some products have been withdrawn from the market.

Japan Pharma Layoffs: Takeda And Others Implementing Broad Cuts

 
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Several major Japanese firms, including Takeda, are planning layoffs at home and elsewhere as they make efforts to streamline their business and costs and cope with R&D and commercial challenges. 

Japan Results Roundup: Strong Mainstays, Currency Windfall Help Top Line

 
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Results from the top Japanese pharma firms in the fiscal first quarter were marked mainly by strong global performances for mainstay products and significant currency effects due to the continued weakness of the yen, although forex concerns are rising. Eisai's Alzheimer's drug Leqembi also gained momentum, particularly in the US.