Japan's NHI list gets 99 generics added

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has announced the additional listing of 99 generic drugs in the Official Gazette. Among the total number of compounds, 68 are oral medicines, 23 injectables and eight topical formulations, resulting in a total of 15,994 prescription drugs (8,674 oral, 4,263 injectables, 3,017 topicals and 40 dental-use medications).

One ingredient/two products were added to the National Health Insurance price list as generic drugs for the first time. They are the copy versions of Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim's Acardi (pimobendan) for the treatment of acute cardiac failure.

21 generics of Mitsubishi Tanabe's Tanatril (imdapril HCl) for the treatment of hypertension marked the highest number entering into the NHI drug price list this time, followed by 14 copies of Astellas' Cefzon (cefdinir), a cefem antibiotic. By company, Sawai Group launched 16 products (nine from Sawai Pharmaceutical and seven via Medisa Shinyaku), followed by 12 drugs from Nichiiko and 10 from Towa Pharmaceutical. The USA's Mylan introduced seven generic compounds.