In-country trading firms play a major role in assisting the import of active pharmaceutical ingredients

Japan is legendary for its focus—many would say obsession—on producing high-quality products. When it comes to sourcing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), Japanese generic drug firms are equally exacting with the requirements that they place on their suppliers.

"To be competitive in the country, a foreign supplier must convince a potential customer that it can offer the highest quality consistently", Marcel Hogerheide added. "It also helps to have unique capabilities, such as a proprietary spray-drying technology in Hovione's case", he said.

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