It is a link for moving within the page.

  1. HOME
  2. About Otsuka
  3. Original Global Development

About OtsukaOriginal Global Development

From East to West: A global expansion that started in Asia

Otsuka made its first expansion outside of Japan by entering the Thai market in 1973. At that time, most Japanese pharmaceutical companies were focused on development in Western countries. However, Otsuka believed that as an Asian company it should focus first in the Asian region, and quickly began to expand there. For example, Otsuka became the first Japanese pharmaceutical company to establish a joint venture in China - China Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. After that, we headed westward to Europe and the United States, offering highly original products in the areas of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, nutraceuticals and cosmedics. Today, Otsuka Pharmaceutical has affiliated companies around the world. Researching and developing products that promote health, supplying local and neighboring markets, and implementing global sales efforts, Otsuka employees are taking on creative challenges wherever they work.

Asia, the Middle East and OceaniaOIAA: Otsuka's focus in Asia and the Middle East

The OIAA (Otsuka International Asia/Arab) Division was established in 2001 as the managing office for our business in Asia and the Middle East.

Expansion of Otsuka's pharmaceutical business into Asia and the Middle East began in 1973, with the establishment of Thai Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and its I.V. business. Then in 1974, P.T. Otsuka Indonesia and Taiwan Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. were established, followed by Arab Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., S.A.E. (currently Egypt Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., S.A.E.) in 1977.

In 1981, China's Ministry of Health sought bids for the construction of a production base for quality I.V. solutions. As a result, Otsuka became the first Japanese pharmaceutical company to establish a joint venture in China - China Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Today, Otsuka (China) Investment Co., Ltd., which oversees Otsuka's pharmaceutical business in China, is making effective use of human resources and technologies, while making investments in various areas in order to maximize synergies among the group companies there.

After 1981, Otsuka expanded into other areas including South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore. Currently, Korea OIAA, Co., Ltd., located in Seoul, is in charge of marketing and application development for Asia and the Middle East. It considers the healthcare systems across these regions, along with the business environments for products, and then establishes and promotes sales strategies specific to each market. Korea OIAA also works to increase the added value of Otsuka products. In 2014, Otsuka Australia Pharmaceutical Pty Ltd. was established as Otsuka's first pharmaceutical sales company covering the Oceania region.

POCARI SWEAT, one of Otsuka's global nutraceutical products, was launched in Hong Kong and Taiwan in 1982. Since then, the sales area for this ion (electrolyte) supply beverage has expanded along with the establishment of production sites in China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia. By 2017, POCARI SWEAT is now available in over 20 countries and regions worldwide.
In 2018, ORONAMIN C DRINK was produced and sold in Indonesia, and we aim to promote the health benefits of the product.
SOYJOY, a new type of nutritional food that contains all the nutritional benefits of soy (excluding the thin peel), was launched in Japan in 2006. Since then we have been offering new ways to enjoy the goodness of soy that match the preferences of different food cultures. Otsuka launched its UL·OS brand of men's skincare products in South Korea in 2012, marking the first expansion of the Cosmedics business outside Japan. We believe our unique style of growth will enable us to meet the needs of different cultures and customs.

North and South AmericaFocus region for international expansion and pharmaceutical clinical development

Otsuka's pharmaceutical business in the U.S. is managed by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. Respectively, they perform pharmaceutical sales, and clinical development. Established in 2007, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization serves as a base for our international expansion strategy and pharmaceutical clinical development worldwide. The company aims to provide patients with medicines that offer unprecedented new value. Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical, Inc. was set up in 2010 to serve as a sales presence in that country.

Our antipsychotic drug, ABILIFY is now available in over 60 countries and regions since its 2002 launch in the U.S. We are also actively working in the areas of oncology and cardiovascular disease through sales of Busulfex, a drug for the pre-conditioning of bone marrow transplantation, and Samsca, an oral vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist. In 2013, marketing began in the U.S. for ABILIFY MAINTENA, a once-monthly extended-release injection of ABILIFY, which is now available in over 35 countries. After acquiring Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of the U.S. in 2013, Otsuka also acquired America's Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2015, which has the world's first and only approved treatment for the neurologic disease pseudobulbar affect (PBA). Otsuka will continue to expand its business in the neurologic disease area where treatment satisfaction is insufficient. The 2015 U.S. launch of REXULTI, a novel antipsychotic, marks a further step forward on our path to creating new therapeutic approaches.

In our nutraceutical business, Pharmavite, LLC, a leader in the supplement industry, manufactures and sells Nature Made supplements, the number-one retail vitamin and supplement brand in the U.S.*. With our 2014 acquisition of FoodState Inc., a pioneer of natural food-based supplements in the U.S. and the acquisition of Jasmine, the largest Brazilian health and functional food company, followed by the latest joining of Daiya Foods Inc., a rapidly growing plant-based food company in North America, the company is now working on further business expansion.

  • © 2017, The Nielsen Company, Scantrack© service, US xAOC Channel 39-weeks ending 9/30/17. All rights reserved, no reproduction without permission.

EuropeStrategic base for further international expansion

Establishing Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd. in the UK in 1998 as a regional headquarters, we have been expanding our pharmaceutical business in Europe with operations in France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, and other areas. In 2013, Otsuka Europe Development and Commercialisation Ltd. was launched and tasked with ensuring the successful development and commercialization of our products in the region.
Interpharma Praha, a.s. in the Czech Republic is Otsuka's first research, development, and manufacturing base of active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutritional products in Eastern Europe. In 2013, Otsuka also acquired Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of the U.S. This company's research center in Cambridge, U.K., is conducting unique drug discovery research using fragment-based molecular design technology for drug discovery.

The major European nutritional food products company, Nutrition & Sante SAS (N&S), became a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka in 2009, and now serves as the production and sales base for our nutraceuticals in Europe. Otsuka Pharmaceutical sells the leading N&S brands Gerblé in Japan, and N&S had established a new manufacturing facility in France in 2017, dedicated to the production of gluten-free products, in recognition of escalating consumer needs for gluten-free foods.