Japan oncology market overview: Current and future perspectives

The anti-cancer drug market is considered a growth market in Japan and across the world. Pharmaceutical companies have made every effort to deliver innovative drugs in this field, boosting market growth. In their research and development of anti-cancer drugs, these pharmaceuticals need to identify the optimal drug modalities in order to maximize profit, as the drugs are divided into two groups: cytotoxic-based drugs and target-based drugs. Although there have been numerous studies focused on the critical role of molecular target cancer therapy in anti-cancer drug development in Japan and elsewhere, few studies have quantitatively assessed the Japanese market using actual prescription data. This article provides an overview of the anti-cancer drug market in Japan as a foundation for formulating a global business strategy. It identifies key characteristics of the Japanese anti-cancer drug market and offers a prognosis of the market based on study findings.