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In February, Tokyo announced that it would establish an Office for Health Care and Medical Strategy charged with getting some of Japan’s exceptional but languishing R&D efforts to market. The office aims to establish Japan as the most advanced in medical technologies and health care services in the world. The P.M., so sure of the potential strength of the sector, has made it one of the “three arrows” of his so-called Abenomics policy plan to revive Japan’s flagging economy. The government aims to “develop the medical sector, pharmaceutical products, and medical devices and equipment as strategic industries that will form a key pillar for Japan’s economic revitalization,” says chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga who launched the health care office last month.
In addition, deregulated areas, such as a large stretch of coast that straddles Tokyo’s neighboring cities, have been designated special zones dedicated to getting innovation out of the labs and into the hands of private companies. Tax breaks and government funds are available to labs and firms in the region. Strict regulations that apply elsewhere in Japan on medical trials are looser here, say officials
So far the deregulated zone has made it possible to develop an advanced surgery simulator that allows inexperienced doctors to perform simulated surgery training, virtually, without the need for human guinea pigs. Other companies have jointly developed an ultrasound kit miniaturized for home use. Clinical trails at home were made possible because the site, Yokohama, now falls outside Japan’s regulated zone that would ban home use.
Japanese medical technology is also to be aggressively marketed abroad, says Hideaki Nakagaki, a director general of the Office of Health Care Policy. “There is a huge market here for health, longevity. We were looking at the domestic market, but now we will be focusing on overseas sales, too.” His committee should have concrete policies on this subject by summer, he adds.