Japan’s generics market woos Indian firms

 16-Nov-15, Live Mint 

Four years after the last buyout, more Indian pharmaceutical firms are eyeing acquisition opportunities in Japan, the world’s second largest drug market.

Image: Bloomberg

Except Mumbai-based Lupin Ltd, which made its second buyout in 2011 in Japan, none of the Indian drug makers have been able to establish a footprint in the $115-billion Japanese pharma market.

ET Now television news channel said Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd was planning to acquire the Japanese drug portfolio of Swiss firm Novartis to make its entry into Japan. Besides the reported move by Sun Pharma, other Indian generics makers, including Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd, are exploring options for entering Japanese generics market with their formulation drugs. 

“Currently, the Japanese government is pushing heavily for the consumption of generic drugs, from 30% in 2014 to 60% in next couple of years,” said Nilesh Gupta, managing director, Lupin Ltd.

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