Pharmaceuticals in Japan
5 verified figures for Japan, covering 5 indicators from 3 primary sources. Every figure links to the report it came from.
Japan compared
| Measure | Japan | World | Highest country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median drug approval time | 292 daysJapan · 2025 | — | 413 daysSwitzerland · 2025 |
| New active substance approvals | 40Japan · 2025 | — | 50United States · 2025 |
| Health sector research and development investment growth rate | 9.1%Japan · 2024 | — | 9.1%Japan · 2024 |
The short version
Key takeaways
- Median drug approval time in Japan stood at 292 days in 2025 (CIRS). CIRS ↗
- Health sector research and development investment growth rate in Japan came in at 9.1% in 2024 (European Commission). European Commission ↗ T1 Official
- New active substance approvals in Japan totalled 40 in 2025 (CIRS). CIRS ↗
- Sales growth at constant exchange rates in Japan came in at 11% in Q1 2026 (Roche). Roche ↗ T2 National
- Sales growth in Swiss francs in Japan came in at -5% in Q1 2026 (Roche). Roche ↗ T2 National
The complete table
Pharmaceuticals data for Japan
Every row links to its own page with the full source, verbatim quote and citation.
5 data points across 5 indicators. Each line shows the latest value; open a line for earlier periods and forecasts.
Health sector research and development investment growth rate20249.1%European CommissionT12025actual→
Median drug approval time2025292 daysCIRS2025actual→
New active substance approvals202540CIRS2025actual→
Sales growth at constant exchange ratesQ1 202611%RocheT22026actual→
Sales growth in Swiss francsQ1 2026-5%RocheT22026actual→
Primary documents
Sources
| Document | Publisher | Authority tier | Published | Accessed | Locator | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 2025 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard Press release | European Commission | T1 Official | 22 Dec 2025 | 17 Sep 2026 | EU: Health and energy sectors shine in a year of slowdown | 1 |
| [Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR] Roche’s strong momentum continues in the first half of 2026, delivering +6% sales growth at constant exchange rates; -2% in CHF due to the significant a... Press release | Roche | T2 National | 23 Jul 2026 | 15 Sep 2026 | Group results | 2 |
| New Drug Approvals by Six Major Authorities 2016-2025 Press release | CIRS | T3 Research | — | 17 Sep 2026 | Key Findings | 2 |
Report snapshots are retained internally for verification only and are never redistributed. Where a figure comes from a paywalled report, only the number published in its public summary is recorded.
All 5 collected records for Japan are published as verified.
Cite & reuse
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Data on this page is published under CC BY 4.0. You may reuse it, including commercially, provided you attribute it. Each figure's own page carries APA, MLA, Chicago and BibTeX citations naming its original publisher.
StatOrigin. (2026). Pharmaceuticals in Japan: statistics. Retrieved from https://statorigin.org/industries/pharmaceuticals/japan