EFPIA Japan chief provides vision for improvements in drug development

In his first press conference since his appointment in the new year, at the Tokyo Keidanren (Federation of Economic Organizations) Hall on February 8, 2007, Marc Dunoyer, chairman of the Japanese section of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA Japan), and president of the Japanese subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline, spoke of "the establishment of new rules that respect [the] value of innovation, allowing consideration for new value-added post-marketing, for example, price increases and/or absence of price revision until the time of listing of relevant generics."

Mr Dunoyer covered five major moves designed to revitalize R&D, strengthen international competitiveness, and secure the predictable business environment in which sustainable business management can be promoted in Japan. These were: 1) the further improvement of the clinical trial environment; 2) the improvement of efficacy of clinical trial consultation and review process; 3) price of value for pharmaceutical products; 4) the protection of intellectual property rights; and 5) the promotion of preventative medicine and vaccine policy.

NHI pricing system proposals due in March