Ignorance is not bliss In Japan

By P Reed Maurer

A winning strategy in the Japan pharma market cannot be conceived or implemented by those who are ignorant of what moves the market. Cloning a strategy that worked elsewhere may not necessarily work in Japan, thus causing a high level of frustration for foreign company executives, writes long-time Japan pharma watcher and president of International Alliances Limited P Reed Maurer in his exclusive column for The Pharma Letter.

We could talk for a long time about cultural shock and the old adage about never the twain shall meet, but let’s focus on three issues of doing business in Japan, iie, pricing, distribution, and regulatory review.