Upon the invitation of the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, SONG Ruilin, Executive President of China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association (PhIRDA), led a senior delegation to Tokyo on November 28th for a two-day official visit. More than 20 representatives, including YANG Dajun, Chairman and CEO of Ascentage Pharma, LIANG Wenqing, Chairman and CEO of CF Pharmtech, FENG Lan, Secretary-General of PhIRDA, CAO Fei, Co-Founder & COO of InxMed Co., Ltd., CHEN Xi, CEO of Hope Medicine, and MOU Xiaodun, CEO of CorrectSequence Therapeutics, participated in the visiting.

On the morning of November 29th, PhIRDA Delegation visited the JPMA office, joining the Sino-Japan Pharmaceutical Industrial Meeting with representatives from JPMA and Japanese enterprises. Nobuo Murakami, Chairman of JPMA International Affairs Committee, warmly welcomed PhIRDA Delegation. He pointed out that the global drug development is currently undergoing significant changes, shifting from the focus on small molecule compounds and animal models in the past to new fields including antibody drugs, gene therapy, and polymer synthesis technology. These new areas require the integration of advanced technologies from various enterprises to jointly promote the progress of the pharmaceutical industry. Through this activity, SINO-Japan industry could share experiences in pharmaceutical innovation, jointly explore cooperation opportunities, making contribution to the establishment of an innovative drug research and development ecosystem and the promotion of pharmaceutical innovation and development.

Dr. SONG Ruilin expressed that China and Japan have promising future and  cooperation potenial in pharmaceutical and health industry. In recent years, the Drug Regulatory Administration and pharmaceutical industries in China and Japan have extensively exchanges, playing a positive role in strengthening the health and well-being of the people in both countries. PhIRDA and JPMA are long-term trusted partners, having co-organized Sino-Japan pharmaceutical enterprise exchange activities for several times, achieving fruitful results. The purpose of this visit to Japan is to promote Sino-Japan pharmaceutical exchanges and cooperation to develop in the post-pandemic era.

JPMA Asia Committee Chairman Osamu Kagawa and JPMA China Team Leader Junya Ikeda respectively introduced the work plans of JPMA Asia Committee and JPMA China Team in promoting the development of Asia’s pharmaceutical industry, and looked forward to laying the foundation for future diverse cooperation with China’s pharmaceutical industry through this visit, to jointly explore the development and innovation of the pharmaceutical industry.

Representatives from companies of China and Japan conducted in-depth discussions on enterprise development, strategic plan, core technology, R&D pipeline and cooperation needs in Sino-Japan Pharmaceutical Industrial Meeting. Both parties of the meeting reached consensus on strengthening innovative cooperation in pharmaceutical industry globally, jointly addressing disease challenges is of significant strategic importance.

On the morning of November 30, PhIRDA Delegation visited Takeda global headquarter, and senior representatives including Milano Furuta President of Japan Pharma Business Unit, Takeda Executive Team, Sean Shan, President of Takeda China, Ooki Yamano, Head of Japan Business Development and Global Business Development, Shoichi Oga, Head of Public Affairs, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. etc. participated in the seminar. Participants conducted discussion on R&D pipelines, future R&D directions and collaboration.

PhIRDA Delegation paid a visit to the National Cancer Center Japan (NCC Japan) and the Shonan Health Innovation Park (iPark) as well. Japan has world-leading scientific research capabilities and drug development technologies in anti-tumor treatment, while Chinese pharmaceutical market has great potential. There is broad space for cooperation between China and Japan in anti-tumor R&D and industrialization. NCC Japan is featured in clinical research, data management, and network construction, which provides a good reference for China on how to facilitate clinical institutions to participate in original innovation. As the first science park initiated by a pharmaceutical company in Japan, iPark has gathered a large number of new companies focusing R&D on early-stage, cell agriculture, artificial intelligence, and other innovative elements. During the visit, PhIRDA Delegation conducted in-depth exchanges with senior representatives from iPark and Takeda Japan Pharma Business Unit, including Yasuko Terao, Shigeru Fujimori, Ken Fujimura, bringing inspiration to the participants on how to establish original innovation in line with China’s current situations and early-stage cooperation.

PhIRDA Delgeation’s visit to Japan will promote the continuous improvement of the innovative capabilities of China’s pharmaceutical industry, and also opens a new chapter in Sino-Japan cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry. In the future, PhIRDA will continue to strengthen collaboration with international organizations, MNCs, including JPMA and Takeda, jointly contributing to the promotion of the upgrading of China’s pharmaceutical innovation industry, continuously improving the international competitiveness of enterprises, and bringing more benefits to patients worldwide.