Shire representative office opens in Japan

UK-headquartered Shire has officially opened its new representative office in Japan, in Shinkujuku Ward, Tokyo, which will serve as the base  for preparations for the future commercialization of its pipeline  products in Japan, the world's second largest biopharmaceutical market.  Shire currently focuses its business on the areas of attention-deficit  and hyperactivity disorder, gastrointestinal and human genetic  therapies, and markets products in pharmaceutical markets worldwide.

"The unique regulatory, clinical and cultural characteristics of the  Japanese market require an early investment in infrastructure to  maximize the potential in this strategically important region," said  Sylvie Gregoire, president of Shire Human Genetic Therapies, the  business unit focusing on treating rare diseases, adding: "through the  opening of this new office, we have taken a significant step toward  increasing our presence in this market."