Stefan Sandstrom by Astellas HQ in Nihonbashi
The next three years will be a proving period for Astellas. Its new Corporate Strategic Plan […]
Three Japanese quality inspectors examine a dented pharmaceutical carton in a clean quarantine area.
Important disclaimer This article is a general primer. It is intended to give cross-functional teams a […]
Wooden blocks arranged in a clean bridge formation on a light table, labelled “Science & Innovation”, “Japanese Regulatory Pathway”, “Strategy · Partners · Evidence”, “Access & Reimbursement”, and “Patients in Japan”, illustrating the path from innovation to patient access in Japan.
Japan is genuinely interesting for companies developing cell therapies, gene therapies and regenerative medicine product. But […]
A wide-angle, photorealistic image of a modern Japanese elder-care facility where a yellow-and-black rugged tablet rests on a desk in the foreground. The tablet screen displays an infographic titled "Japan Silver Economy: Unlocking Market Access," outlining target market segments, buyers, and routes to market. In the soft-focused background, Japanese caregivers interact with elderly patients, with a banner on the wall reading "Care Innovation and Field Tests" in both Japanese and English.
Japan’s ageing population is enormous. That does not automatically make Japan a good market for your […]
An editorial infographic-style image, rendered in a highly detailed photorealistic illustration, shows multiple elevated railway tracks merging. One set of tracks, labeled with rusty signs for various local development milestones, curves into a main line labeled with a large overhead sign, 'GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT / MRCT (MULTI-REGIONAL CLINICAL TRIALS)'. Modern Japanese Shinkansen trains, including one with 'Phamaraxt' livery, travel on the main line. The scene is set in a daylight Yokohama cityscape, with skyscrapers and industrial buildings. Smaller rusty milestone signs date progress: 'DEC 2023 Phase I flexibility', 'OCT 2024 Rare-disease flexibility', 'JUN 2025 Clinical-trial reform', 'FEB 2026 One-stop service + PMDA', 'JUN 2026 Single IRB', and a final 'AUG 2026 Japan earlier in global development'. A main sign in the foreground left labels the converging tracks 'SEPARATE JAPANESE DEVELOPMENT'.
Japan changed important parts of its clinical development system in December 2023, when the Ministry of […]
Stefan speaking on stage at a pharmaceutical industry conference, in front of a large presentation screen about Daiichi Sankyo, antibody-drug conjugates, and new business opportunities in oncology.
Daiichi Sankyo has built one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most productive antibody-drug conjugate platforms. Enhertu has […]
A photorealistic illuminated billboard beside a wet city road at dusk, displaying: "Otsuka's new target is to hit ¥3.5 trillion by 2035."
Large pharmaceutical targets often look like abstract financial noise to external vendors. But Otsuka’s target to […]
A man in a dark suit stands and points at a large projection screen with Japanese text and "LIFE SCIENCES LAB" graphics, inside a high-rise office overlooking the Tokyo skyline and Tokyo Tower. A seated audience, including people in lab coats, listens.
This article: Japan market entry can produce meetings, contacts and polite interest without producing commercial traction. […]
A high-angle photograph shows several people's hands working together to assemble a large, cardboard jigsaw puzzle on a light-colored wooden table surface. The central hub of the puzzle is a circular piece clearly labeled with "Tanabe Pharma". Other interlocking pieces are being added around it. One large piece on the upper right is labeled "Shionogi", and connected to it is a piece labeled "Radicava". On the lower left, a piece is labeled "Towa Pharma", and it is connected to a smaller, specific piece labeled "17 legacy drugs", which also connects back to the Tanabe hub. Other blank, unassembled puzzle pieces are scattered around the main assembly area, and blurred window frames are visible in the background. At least four or five separate hands are visible, representing different individuals or entities, suggesting multi-party cooperation or negotiation. The lighting is soft and even, highlighting the textures of the hands and the cardboard pieces.
Japan’s pharmaceutical ecosystem is seemingly undergoing a profound structural shift. If you are targeting the Japanese […]
A conceptual illustration of an hourglass with a human brain at the top, releasing a cascade of binary code (1s and 0s) and data symbols. At the bottom red bulb, two robotic hands are analyzing and sorting this data into categories marked by red checkmarks and black cross-marks. A factory and cherry blossoms are in the background.
The biopharma world is still processing the seismic news of Isomorphic Labs’ $2.1 billion Series B […]