The "Regular Meeting with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)" was held.
The International Affairs Committee of the JPMA holds regular meetings with European pharmaceutical organizations every year as part of its activities to cooperate with European and U.S. governments and pharmaceutical organizations to resolve international issues. 2025's regular meeting with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (ABPI) was held online on October 24. (a Japanese pharmaceutical organization in the UK), the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and several committees of the JPMA participated in the meeting, and a lively exchange of views took place. The following is a summary of the meeting.
Scene of the Meeting
Introduction
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, welcomed the progress of market challenges and drug price reform in the UK and Japan, and expressed his hope that both countries will lead the way in rapid patient access to innovation. Masaomi Akana, Vice Chairperson of the JPMA International Affairs Committee, then emphasized the growing importance of cooperation between the UK and Japan to drive innovation in the global life sciences sector amid rapid and uncertain changes in global affairs. He also expressed his expectation to hear directly from the ABPI on the National Health Service (NHS) 10-year plan and the UK government's industrial strategy.
NHS 10-Year Plan (ABPI)
Amit Aggarwal, Executive Director Medical Affairs and Strategic Partnerships
Amit Aggarwal introduced the NHS 10-year plan, explaining that a long-term healthcare vision has been developed under the new government against a backdrop of major reforms from 2019 onwards. The three main areas of change are the shift from hospital-centered to community and home care, from analog to digital (e.g., greater use of NHS apps), and from treatment-centered to preventive care. In addition, NHS England has been decentralized from a centralized to seven regional NHS structures, with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) responsible for strengthening community healthcare. The government has invested 600 million pounds in the use of medical data to improve efficiency, including reducing the start-up time for clinical trials to less than 150 days. The introduction of a "Single National Formulary," which aims to reduce regional disparities in access to new drugs, is also being considered, but it was pointed out that this also risks limiting patient choice. In addition, the current status and challenges of the 90-day rule on drug evaluation and funding by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) were also shared.
When asked about collaboration with the EU's European Health Data Space (EHDS) during the Q&A session, the ABPI supported international cooperation, but also noted the operational challenges after the EU leaves and the need to consider the confidentiality of patient data.
UK Industrial Strategy and presenting the ABPI's UK Competitiveness Framework (ABPI)
Joe Edwards, UK Competitiveness Director
Joe Edwards gave an overview of the UK Life Sciences Industry Strategy and the "UK Competitiveness Framework. He explained the three pillars of the strategy: "world-class R&D," "promotion of investment and scale-up," and "promotion of medical innovation.
During the Q&A session, there were questions about the data analysis conducted by ABPI, and Mr. Edwards introduced the data analysis methodology. There was also an exchange of views on "drug loss," "drug lag," and the withdrawal of major pharmaceutical companies from the U.K. The participants discussed the reality that the U.K. government is aware of these issues, but that economic conditions and financial constraints are major barriers to their implementation.
Update on the Japanese market from an Access / spend perspective: U.S. MFN (JPMA)
Keiko Sato, International Affairs Committee, JPMA
Mr. Sato shared Japan's situation regarding MFN (Most Favored Nation), including the fact that Japan is closely monitoring the ever-changing trends and concerns about drug lag and drug loss, which could delay or even delay the launch of new drugs in Japan if MFN is introduced. Regarding Japan's NHI drug pricing system, JPMA explained that it is requesting the Japanese government to strengthen the evaluation of innovation, establish a simple and predictable drug pricing system, protect intellectual property, and review the market expansion reimbursement system. The JPMA also reported that it is ready to issue a statement to the U.S. government expressing its concern that the introduction of MFN will have a serious impact on Japanese companies' investment in the U.S., given that Japanese companies have already invested heavily in R&D, manufacturing, and employment in the U.S., and new investment is also active in the country.
During the Q&A session, the ABPI asked about the higher ratio of pharmaceutical spending in Japan than in the UK. In response to the ABPI's comment that the number of new drugs launched in the U.K. is on the decline, the JPMA reported that Japan is in a similar situation and that it plans to further study ways to reduce the number of drug losses.
VPAG and UK response to U.S. MFN (ABPI)
David Watson, Executive Director, Patient Access
Mr. David Watson explained the challenging environment facing the pharmaceutical market in the UK. In particular, it was pointed out that the proportion of the healthcare budget spent on pharmaceuticals is only about 9% (the European average is about 15%), which is causing increasing dissatisfaction among the industry. Regarding the voluntary scheme (VPAG), it was shared that the UK government has agreed to initiate a review of VPAG as soon as possible in response to strong concerns from industry. It was also mentioned that there is a concern that the relatively low net price referenced in the US MFN will have a negative impact on access to new drugs in the UK in the future.
During the Q&A session, while also touching on the status of MFN in Japan, it was confirmed that industry associations in both countries face common challenges in terms of "market attractiveness" and "drug prices. The ABPI expressed its desire to continue dialogue and cooperation with the JPMA in this regard.
Concluding Remarks
Sachiko Nakagawa, JPMA Executive Director, expressed her deep appreciation for the fruitful exchange of information on a wide range of important agenda items at the conference. She also noted the high expectations of the Japanese Takaichi administration for investment in life science innovation, and that the information provided by the ABPI at the conference was extremely useful in advocacy efforts to improve the attractiveness of the Japanese market in the turbulent international market environment. The meeting was very informative. The meeting concluded with expectations and appreciation for the continued active exchange and cooperation between the two organizations.
(Naki Kakuno, UK Team Leader, Europe Group, Europe and America Division, International Affairs Committee)