According to La Merie Business Intelligence, the top five Japanese pharmaceutical companies in terms of 2007 total sales were: Takeda Pharmaceutical ($12.5 billion), Astellas Pharma ($9.0 billion), Daiichi Sankyo ($8.2 billion), Eisai ($6.8 billion) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical ($3.8 billion). The only firms among the top 20 with sales declines last year were Daiichi Sankyo (-5.3%), and Nissan Chemical (-3.0%). Ranked by 2007 R&D spending, the top 5 drug firms were Takeda (R&D spending of $2.0 billion), Daiichi Sankyo ($1.5 billion), Eisai ($1.3 billion), Astellas Pharma ($1.2 billion) and Mitsubishi Pharma ($671 million). Among the top 20 companies, 2007 R&D spending topped 20% of sales Takeda, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma and Kyowa Hakko. The three companies that recorded the largest biologics sales last year were: Chugai ($1.3 billion in biologics sales), Kirin ($517 million) and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma ($264 million).

Source: La Merie