2nd JPMA Town Hall Meeting: Q&A Transcript
On October 15, 2026, we held the second “JPMA Town Hall Meeting.” During the dialogue session, the Chairman and Vice Chairmen provided candid answers to questions submitted in advance and those asked from the audience. We also received many questions via the online question form on the day of the event.Due to time constraints, we were unable to address all questions on the day of the event; therefore, we are now presenting the responses from the panelists, including the Chairman and Vice Chairmen.
Question 1: To transform Japan’s pharmaceutical industry, rather than focusing on new initiatives, could you name one practice that the industry should stop immediately?
Chairperson Miyabashira
If I had to name one, I think it’s the mindset of “we’ll keep doing this because there’s a precedent.” While it’s important to respect established practices and past history, in an environment where change is happening this rapidly, continuing activities simply because “we’ve always done it this way” can sometimes slow our ability to adapt to change.Going forward, I believe it is important—including with regard to existing activities—to start by asking, “What is necessary to achieve our goals right now?” and “What value will this create for the pharmaceutical industry, patients, and society?” Based on that, we must be prepared to discontinue, modify, or reprioritize activities as necessary.
Question 2: What challenges have emerged regarding the Business Strategy Division’s collaboration with various committees and the decision-making process? What improvements or measures are you planning to implement going forward?
Mr. Sakakibara, Head of the Business Strategy Division
Through this pilot operation, it has become clear that we need to further clarify the mechanisms for collaboration—including the division of roles and information sharing between the Business Strategy Headquarters and the various committees; how to integrate each committee’s specialized expertise and understanding of challenges into the overall strategy; and where discussions and decision-making should take place.In particular, we realized that some of the important initiatives being advanced by the various committees are not being sufficiently highlighted by the JPMA as a whole.Going forward, I believe it is important for the Business Strategy Division to play a role in linking the expertise and understanding of challenges held by each committee to the overall strategy of the JPMA. To that end, we will clarify the connection between challenges and strategy, the channels for information sharing, and the decision-making process, while continuing dialogue with each committee to improve our mechanisms for two-way collaboration from strategy formulation through execution.
Question 3: Many of the industry’s challenges require efforts spanning several years. Please tell us how the JPMA plans to balance the introduction of new perspectives following a change in chairmanship with the continuity of existing initiatives.
Vice Chairman Okuda
While it is important for a new chairman to bring fresh perspectives, it is equally essential that the industry vision and priority issues pursued by JPMA be maintained as an organizational commitment. In particular, for initiatives spanning several years, it is crucial to share the desired future state and roadmap under a medium- to long-term strategy and to address them with consistency.We intend to establish a system that balances continuity and transformation—one that is not dependent on the Chairman’s term—by having the Business Strategy Division organize the overall strategy and priorities, make progress, results, and challenges transparent, and reflect these in subsequent activities.
Question 4. If you had to name one thing about the JPMA that you feel “must be changed,” what would come to mind?
Vice Chairman Teshirogi
I believe it is necessary to transform our organization so that it operates not merely by having each unit pursue its own optimal solutions, but from the perspective of what the JPMA as a whole aims to achieve. Each committee possesses a high level of expertise and insights cultivated over many years.At the same time, an increasing number of current policy issues cannot be resolved by a single committee alone. Therefore, I believe it is crucial to evolve into a “One JPMA” model—one that leverages the expertise of each committee, links it to the JPMA’s overall strategy, sets priorities, and enables the necessary organizations to collaborate across departments to drive implementation and achieve results.
Question 5. We expect that becoming a general incorporated association will further broaden the scope of your activities and policy advocacy. At the same time, given the involvement of diverse companies and stakeholders, we believe ensuring transparency and fairness will become even more important. What kind of governance framework are you considering for the future, including considerations regarding conflicts of interest and competition law?
Chairman Kinoshita
I consider this a very important point. Precisely because we are an industry association comprising a diverse range of companies, it is essential to be mindful of conflicts of interest and competition law.
First and foremost, I believe it is crucial that every participant engages in discussions with an awareness of what is important not only for their individual company but also for the industry as a whole, as well as for patients and society. At the same time, the organizational framework is also important.Taking this transition to a general incorporated association as an opportunity, we have reviewed our meeting operations and decision-making processes. We have also formulated new compliance regulations that apply to all member companies and established a accountability framework for promoting compliance. Looking ahead to the full implementation of these regulations, we will work to develop and disseminate guidelines and other relevant materials.
We intend to continue strengthening the foundation of our organizational management to ensure transparency and fairness, and to enable appropriate decision-making, so that the JPMA platform can remain a place where people from diverse backgrounds can discuss issues frankly and with confidence.
Question 6. Following JPMA’s incorporation, how do you anticipate its policy advocacy and external communications—centered on the pillars of Innovation, Access, and Trust—will change going forward? Please let us know if there are any specific expectations for member companies.
Vice Chairman Yasukawa
What is crucial is to ensure that our strategies do not remain mere “paper plans,” but rather lead to concrete actions and results. To this end, we will strengthen collaboration beyond the boundaries of individual committees and enhance our ability to implement policy proposals and communicate effectively with the public.We also ask our member companies to communicate and advocate for the discussions held at the JPMA to their respective stakeholders, and we hope that each and every one of you will become a champion of “One JPMA.”
Question 7. Japan’s share of the global pharmaceutical market is declining, and I believe companies are being called upon to expand internationally. With the Japanese government also supporting this international expansion, please explain the role the JPMA should play. I would also like to hear about your strengths and what you expect to achieve.
Manabe, Vice Chairman
Our goal is to deliver innovations created in Japan to patients in Japan and around the world, and to bring innovations developed overseas to patients in Japan. We believe that “competitiveness” is the key to achieving this.We aim to enhance the international competitiveness of innovations originating in Japan, ensure that pharmaceutical companies have the competitiveness to overcome business and regulatory challenges in their global expansion, and make the Japanese market an attractive one where innovation is appropriately valued.We believe it is a crucial role of the JPMA to advance policy proposals and improve the regulatory environment to this end, while also collaborating with relevant overseas organizations to influence international policy-making.
Question 8: What kind of authority and investment do you plan to restore to Japan’s R&D centers going forward?
Vice Chairman Kimura
The decision regarding what level of authority and investment to allocate to each company’s R&D centers is a matter of individual management judgment.On the other hand, what is important for the JPMA is to create an environment where global knowledge and investment converge in Japan, leading to the emergence of new innovations through Japan. To that end, we believe it is crucial to enhance the competitiveness of the Japanese market and the drug discovery environment, and to align with the government’s policy objectives so that Japan becomes an attractive hub for drug discovery on the global stage.
Question 9: I believe the industry must speak with one voice on the most critical policy issues. How do you think this will improve following the recent organizational restructuring?
Vice Chairman Naito
The pharmaceutical industry is a key industry that contributes to the nation’s future growth. Regarding important policy issues, it is crucial not only for individual companies and organizations but also for the industry as a whole to share a common direction and speak with one voice. Taking this organizational restructuring as an opportunity, we will clarify the issues that the entire industry should prioritize, discuss them beyond the scope of individual committees, and translate these discussions into strategies for the JPMA.By organizing these issues and priorities, we aim to enhance our ability to integrate policy proposals, external communications, and implementation into a cohesive whole. Furthermore, for key themes, we will collaborate with relevant organizations to create a framework that allows the industry to exert greater influence.
Question 10. You mentioned intelligence as one of the functions of the Business Strategy Division. How do you envision the collaboration and division of roles with the Policy Research Institute? I look forward to seeing the Business Strategy Division and its various committees work together with the Policy Research Institute to strengthen our capacity for policy advocacy.
Mr. Sakakibara, Head of the Business Strategy Division
The Business Strategy Division’s Intelligence function swiftly identifies domestic and international policy and industry trends to support strategic planning, strategic implementation, and business management. Meanwhile, the Policy Research Institute possesses expertise in research and analysis.Rather than keeping these two units separate, we intend to integrate the Policy Research Institute’s insights, the expertise and issue awareness of each committee, and the Business Strategy Division’s cross-functional perspective. By doing so, we aim to enable the JPMA as a whole to make policy proposals that are more persuasive and effective.