Otsuka
Pharmaceutical is
a global collaborator
for mutual growth
Offering solutions for a healthy lifestyle tailored to regional characteristics
We are working through locally based initiatives to address the culture- and customs-dependent social issues in each country and region as they change over time. Through management, we also promote global business development by working together with local people. For example, in Indonesia we manufacture POCARI SWEAT at two plants and also export it to neighboring countries. Sales of the drink outside Japan now generate more than 50 percent of total sales of the product. In recent years, we have expanded our operations in new regions, including the U.S.
- *Runners in Indonesia participate in the POCARI SWEAT Run, an event held annually since 2014.
Mutual growth through borderless and horizontal collaborative relationships
As an international presence is important in the pharmaceutical industry, Otsuka pursues alliances with partners across the globe, as well as acquisitions. A significant milestone in our pharmaceutical businessʼs international expansion was the alliance formed in 1999 with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) to co-develop and commercialize ABILIFY® in multiple markets.
Otsuka became a global company through the ABILIFY business, but most importantly, we have mutual respect with our collaborators and have innovated by sharing open-minded opinions and original ideas on an equal footing.
In any alliance or acquisition, we value horizontal partnerships based on mutual respect over vertical integration with clearly defined hierarchical relationships. The mutual growth such horizontal partnerships provide backs our commitment to creating innovative products and solutions that contribute to the health of people around the world.
Otsuka Pharmaceuticalʼs primary affiliates
Pharmavite, maker of Nature Made, the most pharmacist-recommended* supplement brand in the U.S., joined Otsuka in 1989. It also focuses on womenʼs health, helping launch Equelle in the U.S. Uqora became a subsidiary in 2021, and Bonafide Health joined in 2023. Together, they offer sustainable support for womenʼs health.
Established in 2008 to develop, manufacture, and market creative and high-quality plant-based foods such as cheese substitutes, dressings, and desserts made from ingredients sourced in North America.
A pioneering European health food company founded in 1972, whose name combines the French words for nutrition and health (santé). It aims to contribute to peopleʼs health by providing better nutritional products.
A bioventure company with roots in Cambridge, UK. It pursues drug discovery of small-molecule compounds for oncology and neurodegenerative diseases, using fragment-based discovery techniques.
Alongside drug design based on protein conformational analysis using cryo-electron microscopy, it works to create innovative drugs through target and mechanism analyses using quantum computers.
A biologics research and early-stage clinical development company developing therapies for patients with immune-mediated and other hard-to-treat diseases. As part of Otsukaʼs open innovation, Visterra collaborates with Boston-area universities and hospitals.
A biotechnology company that joined Otsuka in 2024. Using its proprietary RAPID drug discovery platform, it is working to develop drugs for autoimmune diseases and rare diseases that have been difficult to treat with conventional drug screening systems.
- *Number one for pharmacist recommendations in Pharmacy Times magazineʼs OTC Guide, July 2024.
Products covered: letter vitamin brands, coenzyme Q10, diabetes multivitamins, flaxseed oil, herbals, omega-3/fish oil, mood health, cholesterol management, sleep aids
The four pillars of being a total healthcare company
that focuses on each individualʼs potential
Otsuka aims to contribute to the health of people around the world. That means addressing every member of societyʼs health issues and needs and helping people realize their full potential. Otsuka will continue to provide innovative products and services based on scientific evidence while working with various stakeholders to promote peopleʼs physical, mental, and social health. Four pillars represent what we should be to achieve this goal.
Creating new markets by
introducing unique products
based on original ideas
introducing unique products
based on original ideas
While it may take some time to gain market acceptance, we will continue to develop new markets by making proposals that anticipate environmental changes and persistently communicating their value, as we have done with POCARI SWEAT, which was created based on the concept of a beverage to replenish sweat loss and has since become a part of peopleʼs lives.
Developing new drugs that defy conventional wisdom and deploying products based on scientific evidence
We also leverage the knowledge and expertise we have cultivated in pharmaceuticals in the nutraceutical business to maintain and improve everyday health, developing products and services based on scientific evidence.
Supporting not just the physical
but also the mental and social
health of each individual
Otsuka also promotes comprehensive initiatives, such as community-based health promotion in collaboration with local governments, companies, and organizations to help people stay physically, mentally, and socially healthy.
Respecting partners and aiming
for horizontal collaboration
for horizontal collaboration
We aim for horizontal collaborations, in which we respect each other while engaging in mutually reinforcing learning from our differences, working hand in hand with external partners as well as our local affiliates around the world to realize the well-being of people worldwide.