Innovation management of Japanese pharmaceutical companies: the case of an antibiotic developed by Takeda Online publication date: Mon, 04-Apr-2005
by Takuji Hara
International Journal of Technology Management (IJTM), Vol. 30, No. 3/4, 2005
Abstract: It is often argued that the Japanese pharmaceutical industry lacks international competitiveness partly because of its weakness in innovation – most new drugs developed by Japanese companies are imitative and lack appeal in overseas markets. To address this problem, I suggest a well-defined typology of drug innovation. I found in my previous studies that the dominant type of innovation among Japanese companies has been the modification-based innovation, which indeed appears to be imitative. Although modification-based innovation is not necessarily easy it may bring in significant revenue. It is also found that institutional and organisational conditions of the Japanese market until recently were in favour of modification-based innovation. Therefore, it can be argued that innovation management of Japanese pharmaceutical companies in the past was not inappropriate. Recently, the situation is changing and some Japanese companies are seeking more radical types of innovation. But we should not underestimate the strategic value of modification-based innovation.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Technology Management (IJTM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook