Clinigen acquires unlicensed medicines supplier in Japan

By Melissa Fassbender

- Last updated on GMT

(Image: Getty/Harvepino)
(Image: Getty/Harvepino)

Related tags Medicine Japan

Clinigen Group plc has acquired the Japanese unlicensed medicines supplier International Medical Management Corporation (IMMC) in order to further develop its market access, says CEO.

IMMC operates in various sectors, including niche vaccine, oncology, and IVF, and has established relationships with more than 850 hospitals and clinics across Japan.

The company was acquired for an upfront cash payment, the amount of which was not disclosed.

"Japan is the world’s second largest pharmaceutical market, and yet of the 154 new drugs launched globally between 2008 and 2012, two-thirds were still unavailable in 2013​," said Shaun Chilton, Group CEO of Clinigen. "This, when combined with a highly regulated and subsequently underdeveloped unlicensed medicines market has seen Japan struggle with counterfeit medicines, with illegal online medicine selling a particular issue​."

Subsequently, Chilton said the company hopes the acquisition will help develop its access to the Japanese market, "providing healthcare professionals with ethical access to medicines for their patients with unmet medical need​," he told Outsourcing-Pharma.com.

As per company integration, Chilton explained IMMC has brand value in Japan and will, therefore, keep its name. However, the IMMC team has become a part of Clinigen’s existing operation in Japan, which the company established in October 2016.

The next steps will be to "achieve synergies between IMMC and its network of customers in Japan and Clinigen’s global access to medicines​," said Chilton.

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