Bushu and Suzuken team up to support manufacturers eyeing up Japanese market

The new business alliance will support new product launches for specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers looking to enter the Japanese market

The alliance between the two firms will establish a one-stop logistics centre in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, for manufacturing operations and general logistics.

Bushu Pharma will be able to conduct contract manufacturing operations  from the site and the two companies will work together to offer one-stop services for specialty pharmaceuticals, including marketing authorisation holder/drug approval holder consulting, import, inspection, manufacturing, storage (manufacturer logistics), wholesale distribution, post-marketing survey, and patient support.

In addition, through the use of the Cubixx specialty drug traceability system, developed by Suzuken, Bushu Pharma will provide delivery of products all the way to patients.

The alliance also enables Bushu Pharma to utilize the 1,465-m2 cold storage area newly established within the Kazo Pharmaceutical Joint Distribution Center of Chuo Unyu, a subsidiary of Suzuken. The area will make it possible for Bushu Pharma to carry out contract manufacturing centered on secondary packaging such as inspection, labelling, and packaging.

Furthermore, the two companies, including S.D. Collaboration Co. (another  Suzuken subsidiary), have also started joint proposal sales efforts to specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers who are planning to enter the Japanese market, led through Bushu Pharma’s US office in North Carolina.

In recent years, the number of innovative specialty pharmaceuticals on the market that require strict temperature, inventory, and security control has been increasing, as has the number of pharmaceutical manufacturers looking to introduce these products to Japan. These manufacturers, however, frequently lack the required assets such as manufacturing plants, distribution centres and networks necessary to enter the Japanese market with minimal resources and, therefore, must outsource these functions.

Suzuken possesses a distribution network in Japan that can support the international transportation of specialty pharmaceuticals. Bushu Pharma has been contract manufacturing in Japan for more than 20 years, holds GMP certifications from all over the world, and has a track record of exporting to more than 43 countries.