JPMA presses for drug price maintenance

Takashi Shoda, president of both the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and Daiichi Sankyo, stressed the importance of introduction  of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Associations of  Japan's proposal for a drug price maintenance special exception system  or one for the prices of new agents to be held during their patent  validity in order to recoup investment and put the fund into new R&D  during the patent validity at a regular press conference in Tokyo.

In Japan, the amount of time taken to develop innovative compounds and  review a New Drug Application for the agents means drug manufacturers  enjoy less than half of the intellectual property validity period,  despite the actual patent term being a maximum 25 years, Mr Shoda said.  Under the proposed system, pharmaceutical firms enjoy the benefit of a  drug price that is maintained until its patent expiration (Marketletters  passim).

Mr Shoda and Yasuchika Hasegawa, JPMA vice president and president of  Takeda, will address the advantages of the new NHI system to promote  innovation and eliminate the drug-lag, as well as encouraging the use  of generic drugs at a forthcoming Chuikyo (Central Social Insurance and  Medical Council) hearing.