The Japanese government might allow seriously ill patients to use medical treatments not yet approved in Japan under a compassionate use" system, adding to signs the country is opening the door further to foreign pharmaceutical companies.
Japan has been traditionally slow to approve new treatments developed overseas for its $96 billion drug market, the world's second largest, due in part to safety concerns.
But the government has recently taken steps to speed up the approval process and gain access to better treatment as it seeks to cut healthcare costs for its rapidly aging society, creating business opportunities for western drugmakers. (Reuters)
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