Business Overview
Therapeutic drugs
Clinical nutrition
Diagnostics
Medical devices
Bulk pharmaceuticals
and intermediates
Revenue¥1,629.0 billion*
Business profit¥390.6 billion
*Revenue includes intersegment revenue and transfers
The Otsuka group is focusing on the priority fields of psychiatry and neurology, oncology, and cardiovascular and renal areas based on the topic of “unmet medical needs.” In addition, we provide comprehensive healthcare services that extend from diagnosis to treatment through initiatives in a wide range of areas and businesses, including the digestive system, ophthalmology, diagnostics, the IV solutions business, and the medical device business.
Initiatives in the Pharmaceutical Business
Psychiatry and Neurology
Aiming to become a top-class global player in the psychiatry and neurology area, with a high-potential pipeline and product portfolio
In the area of psychiatry and neurology, we have a portfolio of development items and products with high potential for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. For example, in addition to obtaining approval in the U.S. and Japan* for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, we are moving forward with the development of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder, etc. Moreover, there are concerns about the increase in Alzheimer’s disease as the world population ages. The agitation due to this disease not only affects the quality of life of the individuals with dementia, but it also places a strain on family members and caregivers, and is one reason those individuals have to enter nursing home, not live with their families.
The causes and mechanisms are not fully understood, which makes the discovery of new drugs extremely difficult. Hence, many psychiatric and neurological disorders are still left without an established satisfactory treatment. The Otsuka group entered the psychiatry and neurology area in the 1970s and has continued to take on the challenge of new drug discovery with the goal of contributing to medical needs in this area. As a leading company in this area, we are meeting unmet needs through comprehensive initiatives that are not limited to drugs but also include such products as recovery support programs for affected people using treatment apps and VR that employ digital technology.
* Treatment indication in Japan is "excessive motor activity or physically/verbally aggressive behavior due to rapid changes in mood, irritability, and/or outbursts associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease."
Oncology
Maximizing business value through proprietary drug discovery platforms and initiatives for new drug discovery technologies and methodologies
Our proprietary drug discovery platform technologies, including biochemical modulation drug discovery, which Taiho Pharmaceuticals quickly started to work on, Cysteinomix Drug Discovery, which is distinguished by specific covalent modification of therapeutic targets, and Astex Pharmaceuticals’ fragment drug discovery*, support the creation of a broad product portfolio.
The Otsuka group is also accelerating its drug development to resolve unmet needs through collaboration with partner companies. Furthermore, we look for opportunities for collaboration with promising startups through corporate venture capital, thereby expanding our development pipelines in cancer immunotherapy and other areas, and acquiring innovative drug discovery platform technologies. Meanwhile, primarily through external collaborations, Otsuka Pharmaceutical is taking on the challenge of establishing new therapies with a focus on the future. This includes creating synergies with new modalities. Individual group companies are combining their accumulated assets in their fields of strength to bolster global operations and enhance business value.
* Technology to create new compounds through molecular design. It clarifies interactions between small-molecular fragments showing pharmacological activity that cannot be measured in high-throughput screening, and large molecule proteins with complicated 3D structures that have been implicated in diseases and are potential drug targets.
Cardiovascular and Renal System
Creating first-in-class products through new drug discovery technologies and medical devices
In the cardiovascular and renal areas, we are not only reinforcing in-house drug discovery but also aggressively making growth investments, including acquiring Visterra Inc., which possesses a pipeline in the renal area. We are working to address diseases caused by renal failure that dramatically lowers the QOL of patients through our drug for treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and by advancing the development of a drug for IgA nephropathy.
In addition, we are moving forward with the development of medical devices that place less of a burden on the body through a creative approach that combines pharmaceuticals and medical device know-how. The Ultrasound Renal Denervation System, as a new treatment option for hypertensive patients who cannot achieve adequate blood pressure control through lifestyle changes and antihypertensive medications, obtained CE marking* in November 2023. After receiving FDA approval, it was launched in the United States and is currently under clinical development in Japan.
* The CE marking represents a manufacturer’s declaration that products comply with the EU legislation and meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.
R&D Pipeline
An overview of the Otsuka group's R&D pipeline.
Major R&D Sites
The Otsuka group has built a network of R&D sites worldwide, developing a global structure for the research and development of innovative new products to aid in the treatment of diseases and support day-to-day health.
Tokushima Research Institute
(10th Research Center),
Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Tokushima Research Institute
(Hi-z Tower),
Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Osaka Research Center
for Drug Discovery
Tsukuba Research Institute