Following the release of the "Pharmaceutical Industry Vision 2021

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September 14, 2021
Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
Chairman Yasushi Okada

As the world faces unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus, the importance of pharmaceuticals, including vaccines and therapeutics, has been strongly recognized. We have renewed our determination to further strengthen our drug discovery capabilities through public-private partnerships in order to lead the world in creating innovative new drugs from Japan for future pandemics of unknown infectious diseases and in all disease areas where there still remain unmet medical needs.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has recently issued the "Pharmaceutical Industry Vision 2021" for the first time in eight years. The Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) welcomes the formulation of the vision and will do its utmost to fulfill the expectations of the pharmaceutical industry. As we enter an era of 100-year life expectancy, which was completely unimaginable in 1961 when universal health insurance was introduced, supporting the health of the people and extending healthy life expectancy are the most important infrastructure investments the nation can make. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry, driven by innovation, is an industry that will drive the growth of the Japanese economy and pave the way to the future. I hope that the four policy targets focused on in the Pharmaceutical Industry Vision 2021 - "innovative drug discovery," "generic drugs," "drug distribution," and "economic security" - will be implemented with the necessary measures in place. In realizing this vision, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) would like to actively participate in the discussions so that the policies of the pharmaceutical industry will be implemented to support the health of the Japanese people and the growth of the Japanese economy, not as an extension of the existing policies or as individual items, but as a national effort.

In order for Japan to continue to produce innovative new drugs, it is essential to build a drug discovery ecosystem in which industry, government, and academia work together to link the promising seeds of venture companies and academia to practical applications. In order for this ecosystem to function, it is essential that the value of innovation be appropriately evaluated and that the revenue generated be reinvested in the creation of further innovation. In particular, new drug development requires investment of tens of billions of yen in research and development, takes more than 10 years to complete, and has a huge risk with a success rate of 1 in 20,000 to 30,000. In addition, once a drug is launched on the market, it is replaced by a generic product once the patent term expires, making it an industry with an extremely short time frame in which R&D resources can be secured. In light of this, the "system to maintain drug prices during the patent period" is a lifeline that supports the pharmaceutical industry, and we will continue to disseminate information to gain everyone's understanding.

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) will do its utmost to create innovative new drugs that satisfy unmet medical needs and ensure a stable supply of high-quality pharmaceutical products to meet the expectations of the public. We will contribute to the development of Japan by extending the healthy life expectancy of the people and bringing happiness to all citizens as a key knowledge-intensive industry that supports the nation.

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