Japan’s Ministry for Health, Labor and Welfare has given Vetter Pharma-Fertigung the go-ahead as a foreign manufacturer for the Japanese pharmaceutical market. Vetter, a world leader in aseptic filling of pre-filled injection systems, received certification in categories including ‘drug, sterile product’, ‘drug, packaging, labelling and storage’ and ‘medical device, sterilized medical device’. According to Japanese authorities, official approval is needed for any company looking for partnerships as a contract manufacturer with Japanese pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to sell drugs in the local market.
“The accreditation is very good news for us,” said Vetter Managing Director Dr Koch. “We can now offer our services and products to customers from Japan’s pharmaceutical and biotech industry.” The certificates demonstrate that Vetter meets the specific Japanese quality and safety standards as a foreign manufacturer. From now on, Japanese pharmaceutical and biotech companies wanting to offer their drugs on their domestic market can take advantage of the services offered by the Ravensburg-based company. Vetter already partners with international customers to manufacture pre-filled injection systems for the Japanese market.
“The accreditation means that we now have direct access to the world’s third largest pharmaceuticals market, which is a real boost to our competitiveness,” Dr Koch explained. Partnering with Japanese pharmaceutical and biotech companies also represents a major building block in the future growth potential of the company, which has a headcount of over 1,900 spread over several locations.