Introduction to the 2024 Pharmaceutical Market
According to the article (24年度国内医療用薬市場 ２年連続で11兆円台、会計年度でも最高額更新 キイトルーダ1900億円超え | ニュース | ミクスOnline) published by MixOnline, Japan’s pharmaceutical market for FY2024 (April 2024 – March 2025) reached 11.4874 trillion yen (based on NHI price), representing a 1.0% increase from the previous year. This marks the second consecutive year the market has remained above 11 trillion yen, achieving a new record high in fiscal year terms.
Key Market Trends
The oncology drug market posted 1.9737 trillion yen in sales, a slight 0.7% year-on-year increase, indicating a slowdown in growth. In contrast, the vaccine market surged with a 42.9% year-on-year increase, reaching 341.8 billion yen. The diabetes drug market continued its steady growth, recording a 7.0% increase to 774.4 billion yen, while the immunosuppressant market also grew by 3.0% to 638.0 billion yen. However, the systemic antiviral market experienced a sharp decline, dropping 25.6% to 394.5 billion yen.
Top-Selling Products in FY2024
The top-selling pharmaceutical products in Japan for FY2024 were led by Keytruda, which recorded 191.78 billion yen in sales (a 16.3% increase), driven by expanded indications for gastric cancer, biliary tract cancer, and endometrial cancer. Lixiana followed with 151.59 billion yen in sales (up 12.7%), and Opdivo ranked third, despite a 16.9% sales decline to 136.72 billion yen. Other notable products include Dupixent (40.5% increase), Takecab, and Tagrisso. Entresto entered the top ten, posting a 47.7% increase in sales due to new pediatric indications and the launch of pediatric formulations.
Top 10 Products:
- Keytruda: 191.78 billion yen (+16.3%)
- Lixiana: 151.59 billion yen (+12.7%)
- Opdivo: 136.72 billion yen (−16.9%)
- Dupixent: 121.75 billion yen (+40.5%)
- Takecab: 120.83 billion yen (+3.7%)
- Tagrisso: 111.07 billion yen (+3.7%)
- Forxiga: 103.51 billion yen (+18.1%)
- Imfinzi: 103.19 billion yen (−14.5%)
- Eylea: 95.09 billion yen (+6.5%)
- Entresto: 88.99 billion yen (+47.7%)
Company Rankings Based on Sales
Chugai Pharmaceutical maintained the top spot for the fourth consecutive year with 534.3 billion yen in sales, despite a slight 1.0% decrease. AstraZeneca followed with 511.2 billion yen (−0.4%), while Daiichi Sankyo rose to third place with 492.4 billion yen (+2.3%). MSD and Takeda rounded out the top five, though both posted year-on-year sales declines.
Top 5 Companies:
- Chugai Pharmaceutical: 534.3 billion yen (−1.0%)
- AstraZeneca: 511.2 billion yen (−0.4%)
- Daiichi Sankyo: 492.4 billion yen (+2.3%)
- MSD: 451.1 billion yen (−9.3%)
- Takeda Pharmaceutical: 427.8 billion yen (−3.8%)
Conclusion
Japan’s pharmaceutical market demonstrated resilience and growth in FY2024, achieving a new record high despite varied performance across therapeutic areas. Growth was notably strong in the vaccine and diabetes markets, while the oncology sector showed signs of deceleration. Leading products and companies have maintained strong positions, reflecting a dynamic and competitive market landscape poised for further innovation and expansion.