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EVENTS

“Prevention and Early Detection” Seminar

Healthcare “Prevention and Early Detection” Seminar Held at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo

The U.S. Commercial Service in Tokyo, Japan, partnered with the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) to present a commercial diplomacy healthcare seminar on "Prevention and Early Detection: Indispensable to Patient Care" on March 5 at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. U.S. Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer opened the event with Welcome Remarks and the Japanese Minister for Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) Yoichi Masuzoe provided Key Note Closing Remarks.

The half-day seminar attracted an audience of over 120 who learned about innovative approaches to preventive healthcare from experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the MHLW and key Japanese healthcare opinion leaders from medical institutes, academia, and industry. Participants in the event included Diet members, government and private sector healthcare specialists, Japanese and U.S. company representatives and the media.

A copy of the agenda is at http://www.buyusa.gov/japan/ja/prevention.html.

For further information, please contact Hiroyuki Hanawa at E-mail hiroyuki.hanawa@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov .

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

(for full report, please access our Market Research Library )

Health Care Services
American firms have developed a strong presence in Japan's healthcare sector, supplying almost one-quarter of the medical device market and about 15% of Japan's pharmaceutical consumption. Together these two sectors account for roughly one-third of Japan's annual $300 billion in spending on healthcare. In another key element of Japan's medical sector -- healthcare services -- the U.S. role in much more limited, constrained by legal prohibitions against certain private sector activities in the medical field and by an insurance reimbursement system that offers few incentives for Japanese medical institutions to adopt U.S.-style management techniques and cost-containment programs. However, as Japan seeks to address the challenge of responding to increased demand for healthcare in an era of growing financial strains, new commercial opportunities for U.S. firms should begin to emerge in the healthcare services sector.
Medical Devices:

Medical Devices:
Japan is the most important export destination for American medical devices, representing the second largest market in the world for these products behind the United States. The Japanese market for medical equipment is also one of the few sectors where the United States has consistently enjoyed a sizeable trade surplus with Japan. Each year approximately $5 billion worth of U.S. made medical devices and supplies are sold in this market, which has a total annual value of approximately $20 billion.

Dietary Supplements:
Japan represents a challenging, but significant market for U.S. dietary supplements companies. American firms have captured roughly a $500 million share of Japan's $7.5 billion annual market for these products. Reflecting a trend in recent years of modest market openings achieved through eased regulatory restrictions on dietary supplements, U.S. sales in Japan have been increasing and were up about 5% in 2000.

Generic Drug:
Recent economic trends, including a burgeoning national budget deficit, combined with a rapidly expanding elderly population, are coalescing to create market conditions favorable to increased sales of generic drugs in Japan. One focus of Japanese Government healthcare reform has been to seek to reduce insurance coverage for long-listed pharmaceuticals, those that would be off-patent in the U.S. but are often still reimbursed by health insurance in Japan. This is expected to lead to policies that will stimulate consumption of cheaper, generic alternatives.

USEFUL LINKS

CS JAPAN CONTACTS

To obtain Market Research Reports in full text, please contact following staff:
Unit Chief: Helen Peterson
Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Health Care Services: Hiroyuki Hanawa
Home Health Care, Dietary Supplements, Biotechnology: Tamami Honda