Japan's drug sector to unite for emerging-market push
16-Jun-17, Nikkei Asian Review
Around 25 Japanese companies including Eisai and Takeda Pharmaceutical plan to jointly develop and distribute medicines in emerging economies, leveraging a government partnership to take on Western giants.
%20Nikkei%20Asian%20Review.jpg "Japans drug sector to unite for emerging market push (c) Nikkei Asian Review")
Image: Nikkei Asian Review
The group will aim to develop markets for medicines in such regions as Asia and Africa. Members will form a corporation within the year under government leadership and kick off operations in Vietnam and Thailand in fiscal 2019.
Such major and midsize drugmakers as Fuji Pharma and Kyowa Hakko Kirin will join wholesalers including Medipal Holdings and Alfresa Holdings.
Tokyo's Kitahara International Hospital is set to open a rehabilitation center at a national hospital in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, and government cooperation should speed overseas expansion by businesses.