Active support and development to cope with sharp increase in medical fees

The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET) analyzed that Japan pays attention to Korean strategy to build a bio industry complex in ‘Check on oversea industry (Mok Sagong/researcher)’. Japan is actively developing biosimilar as an alternative to cope with sharp increase in medical fees.

The researcher said, “Japanese biosimilar industry is trying to benchmark the Korean plan to build bio CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) complex. There are a few companies such as Toyobo and Asahi Glass that have bio CMO results. But the number of companies is less than in Korea. Some people argue Japan has to work together with CMO providers, the central government, the local government, and pharmaceutical companies to develop the bio industry.”

KIET says there are some companies focusing on Biobetters (improved bio drugs in terms of safety and efficacy). The researcher said, “there are some companies to adopt the biobetter strategy to increase the efficacy of existing medical supplies. The strategy has an advantage to exclude competitors in the field by acquiring the patent in the change.”

He also said they are actively engaged in the development of biosimilar, but have low market share because of reliability about biosimilar efficacy. In spite of the situation, biosimilar is growing as an alternative to cope with sharp increase in medical fees.

He said, “Japan set the goal to increase generic quantity ratio including biosimilar in ‘Basic policy for economic financial operation and reform’ in 2015. The ratio was 54% in 2015, but will be raised to 70% by mid-2017 and 80% by late 2020. Because the ratio of high-priced bio medical supplies has increased every year, biosimilars are emerged as an alternative.” He added, “manufacturing Biosimilars are more difficult than generic. Biosimilars need technological know-how more than any other drugs. In global pharmaceutical industry, competition to make biosimilar of original bio medical supplies whose patent period expire is getting fierce. Recently, Japan has been actively trying to develop biosimilar more than before.”

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