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www.fdanews.com/articles/71885-western-invasion-threatens-japanese-pharma-s-survival

Western Invasion Threatens Japanese Pharma's Survival

May 4, 2005

After the U.S., the Japanese market is the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world, with estimated sales of $54 billion in 2003. While the size of the Japanese market makes it an attractive target for western companies' expansion plans, domestic players are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. Collectively, Japanese pharma companies are staring down the barrel of maturing portfolios, weak development pipelines that lack innovative products with high sales potential, governmental reimbursement price cuts and a gradual increase of generic market penetration.

BioPortfolio (http://www.bioportfolio.com/news/datamonitor_124.htm)