Japan is the second largest pharmaceuticals market in the world after the US and the largest pharmaceuticals market in Asia-Pacific. Japan is also the most advanced market in the region in terms of scientific research, technology and medical equipment.
The Japanese pharmaceutical market has been forecast to continue to expand at a CAGR of 2.6 per cent through 2016, reaching a total value of US$127.4 billion. The growth is being driven by increased medical expenditure due to the ageing of the population and advances in medical treatments. The government is taking steps to mitigate this increase in spending by encouraging the use of generic drugs and by easing regulations, evidenced by the recent revision of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. These two steps have yielded significant new opportunities for international companies operating in the Japanese market.
The pharma community in the country continues to innovate, particularly in regards to medical devices, with growth facilitated through a reduction in stringent regulatory guidelines.
The intellectual property rights (IPR) protection system of Japan is much stronger than that of other Asian countries, giving patent protection for the new APIs and drug formulations. Japan therefore leads the innovator API market in the Asia-Pacific region.
With 1,020 exhibitors, Interphex Japan being held from July 2-4, 2014 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan, is the world's leading and firmly established B-to-B trade show specialised in pharmaceuticals.
Exhibit profile of Interphex Japan 2014 include:materials process,sterilizing equipment & clean room process inspection, testing, equipment,laboratory measurement, analysis equipment, water production, control, supplies & transfer, bio pharma, plant engineering, logistics, contract services etc.
With the concurrently held In-Pharma Japan, the show covers the whole process of pharmaceutical production and serves at the best business platform to see, touch and make practical comparison of the latest, innovative products/technologies from Japan, Asia and the rest of the world.
In-Pharma Japan is Asia's leading B-to-B ingredients trade show serving as the ultimate venue for pharmaceutical manufacturers to meet, discuss and expand the connections with ingredients suppliers from Japan and Asia.
Exhibit profile of In-Pharma Japan include:pharmaceutical ingredients, API, intermediates, additives,formulations etc.
It is the best business platform for pharmaceutical ingredients suppliers to expand sales and network in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry.
Thus Interphex and Inpharma, Japan 2014 is one of the largest pharmaceutical exhibitions in Japan covering the whole gamut of pharma business including pharmaceutical ingredients, APIs, contract services, biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and packaging machinery.
Asia's largest pharmaceutical / life science event offers a comprehensive health-care sessions from high-profile speakers which include:Latest Technological Trends in the Manufacture of Biopharmaceuticsand Equipment Introduction Examples being held on July 2. Expanding Business in Emerging Markets: Learning from Successful Cases and Market Trends on July 2; Latest Examples of Containment Facilities, Japan and Overseas on July 3; Prospect and Growth Strategy of the Generics Industry at a Turning Point on July 4 .
The session on Latest Technological Trends in the Manufacture of Biopharmaceutics and Equipment Introduction includes topics like
- The Executive's Dilemma: the Make Versus Buy Capacity Decision
- State-of-the-art Technology of an Antibody Multi-production Plant
- Introduction of Single-use Technology for IND Manufacturing
- Trend and Vision about Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant
The session on Prospect and Growth Strategy of the Generics Industry at a Turning Point includes topics like
- How to Survive in Generic Industry - With a Global Point of View
- Global Perspective on Biosimilar Development and Regulation
- Issues and Prospects for Generic Drug Industry from the Viewpoint of Healthcare Economics
The session on Expanding Business in Emerging Markets: Learning from Successful Cases and Market Trends include topics like
- Geographic Expansion: Accelerating Growth through Principled Market Entry Strategy
- Points on Overseas Production
- The Trend of the Healthcare Business of Newly Emerging Countries on Asia
The session on Latest Examples of Containment Facilities,Japan and Overseas include topics like
- The Modern Approach to the Application of Containment
- The Latest Containment Systems for Manufacturing High-potency Products
- Design and Performance Evaluation of Robust Containment System at Facility for High Potent
APIs
About 70 per cent pharma ingredients for generic market in Japan are imported. This huge requirement also opens a gate of opportunity for Indian pharma manufacturers. Japan already has a few Indian pharma players operating on their soil.
With an ageing population, where 25 per cent of the population are over 65, and the highest life expectancy in the world (i.e. 86 years for women and 79 for men), there is a great opportunity for India to break into the market and sell drugs that will increasingly be required long-term. In particular there is huge potential in the field of generic drugs and ingredients for generics.
The recent regulatory changes will facilitate entry from Indian companies into the Japanese market, particularly as generics are likely to penetrate the domestic industry due to cost-containment efforts being made by the government.
As such, Japan may increasingly look to outsource to CMOs and CROs in India. More Japanese companies may look to buy contract sites, or source contract services, in India in order to lower drug production costs. This will generate an increase in contract services between the countries.
Hence the Made in India Show In Japan during Interphex and Inpharma Japan is quite relevant in this context. Interphex & Inpharma has recognized India as the Partner Country.
‘The India Show’- Japan is being organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), the apex chamber of commerce in India, with the support from the ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of External affairs, Government of India
India Show Japan provides a great platform to showcase product/services in the Japanese and Asian market to explore the trade, investment, joint venture opportunities, optimize company and brand image in pharma sector.
Japan has emerged as a focus market for Indian bulk drug makers. A few years back, Japan had decided to switch from expensive patented drugs to cheaper generic versions. Also, the expiry of patents of several block-buster drugs, threw up an opportunity for generic drug makers, and, in turn, for API makers who supply ingredients to formulation makers.
As it is estimated that the Asian active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) markets are going to touch $ 50 billion by 2017, from the current $33 billion, industry experts are of the view that India, Japan and China will have a major stake in the region.
The API market in Asia is growing at an increasingly rapid pace. From 2007 to 2011, it went from 24.5 to 28.5 per cent of the world market. From now through 2017, it is likely expand at a rate of 8.2 per cent annually.
Japan has been leading the rest of Asia in demand for APIs. In 2013, the market for APIs in Japan was the largest in Asia, crossing $18 billion. Many foreign API firms from India, Europe and the US are actively selling their APIs on the Japanese market.
Japan’s share of innovator APIs is high, and demand is growing especially in the biotech drug sector. But API generics have also started to gain ground in Japan. Chinese and Indian firms have recently flooded Japan’s market with inexpensive APIs. The accompanying price competition has forced some of the Japanese API manufacturers out of domestic market.
An increasing number of foreign pharmaceutical companies are selling APIs in Japan. They sell to domestic drug manufacturers as well as to foreign drug companies manufacturing products in Japan.
If foreign API manufacturers especially countries such as India, pay attention to the Japanese API market, they will find excellent sales opportunities, especially in the innovative and generic API segments.
Though the Japanese pharmaceutical market is the world’s second largest next to the US, the sale for generic drugs is just 10 per cent of this market value compared to other developed countries which is around 50 per cent. Generic drugs are not yet that popular in Japan as compared to other countries.
The national and local government has shown strong effort in uplifting its health care and pharmaceutical sector. Both promote partnering with international companies to develop plans for R&D and to provide services in the field of medical devices for senior citizens. Companies such as - Astellas Pharma Inc, Daiichi Sankyo Ltd., Eisia Ltd., Otsuka Holdings Ltd, Takeda Pharmaceutical Ltd. are some of the major players in the Japanese pharmaceutical market. Some are even looking to build regional research centres aimed at bringing together advanced healthcare technologies.
The ethical pharmaceutical production has seen an increasing trend in Japan. Particularly the cardiovascular categories of medicines have shown an increase of 22 per cent. The other therapeutic categories which have witnessed an increased volume of production include gastrointestinal, CNS, antibiotics, blood / humoral products, biologicals, dermatological, anti-allergic, chemotherapeutic, and anti-neoplastic vitamins.