Global specialty biopharmaceutical company Shire plc has officially opened a new representative office in Japan and has appointed Soh Fujiwara as Managing Director for Japanese operations.
Shire's new office in Shinkujuku Ward, Tokyo, will serve as the base for preparations for the future commercialization of its pipeline products in Japan, the second largest biopharmaceutical market in the world. Shire currently focuses its business on the areas of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), gastrointestinal (GI) and human genetic therapies, and markets products in pharmaceutical markets worldwide.
Sylvie Gregoire, President of Shire Human Genetic Therapies, said: "The unique regulatory, clinical and cultural characteristics of the Japanese market require an early investment in infrastructure to maximize the potential in this strategically important region. Through the opening of this new office, we have taken a significant step toward increasing our presence in this market. Soh Fujiwara joins Shire at a critical time in our global expansion, and we look forward to working closely with him and his team to build an infrastructure that will enable us to bring additional therapies to Japanese patients."
Mr. Fujiwara joins Shire as Managing Director for Japanese operations after spending more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry. During his career, Mr. Fujiwara has spent a significant amount of time working on the development of products for rare diseases.
In his new role, Mr. Fujiwara will oversee the implementation and development of clinical and regulatory strategies for the commercialization of products in the Human Genetic Therapies pipeline, as well as identify potential future opportunities for growth in this market. He will also work closely with Japanese physicians and regulatory authorities to ensure the needs of affected patients and their families are being met.
Shire currently has numerous therapies available in Japan through strategic partnerships. In addition to the Japan representative office, Shire has offices in Singapore and Australia, and plans to continue exploring additional opportunities for growth throughout the Asia Pacific region.
