Japanese Pharma Licensing Partners: How to Find & Approach Them

Recent transactions provide examples of Japanese pharmaceutical companies licensing external assets.

In July 2025, Kissei Pharmaceutical entered into an in-licensing agreement with U.S.-based Viridian Therapeutics for veligrotug and VRDN-003, potential treatments for thyroid eye disease (TED). Under the agreement, Kissei acquired exclusive development and sales rights for both assets in Japan.

These transactions do not mean that every Japanese pharmaceutical company is seeking the same types of assets. Therapeutic focus, development stage, modality, commercial strategy, and geographic rights can differ substantially from company to company.

That is why the process should start with fit — not with the longest possible list of companies.

1. Define What Kind of Partner You Need

"We need a partner in Japan" can mean very different things depending on the company, technology, and stage of development.

Potential partners may include:

• Major pharmaceutical companies — Companies with broad R&D and commercial capabilities across multiple therapeutic areas and markets.
• Mid-size and specialty pharmaceutical companies — Companies with more focused therapeutic or commercial portfolios that may be relevant when an asset closely aligns with their areas of interest.
• Biotech companies and university spinouts — Potential research or co-development partners, depending on the technology and development stage.
• CROs and CDMOs — Development, clinical, or manufacturing partners rather than licensing partners, but potentially important when planning development activities in Japan.

The Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) lists 68 member companies, providing one useful starting universe for pharmaceutical industry research.

But a starting universe is not the same thing as a target list.

2. Questions to Consider When Assessing Potential Japanese Partners

When evaluating potential licensing partners in Japan, it is useful to consider both the characteristics of the asset and the potential partner's current strategy.

Questions may include:

• Is there a relevant unmet medical need in Japan?
• How does the asset compare with the current standard of care and competitive landscape?
• Does the company's existing pipeline indicate interest in the therapeutic area or modality?
• What stages of development has the company previously licensed or partnered?
• Has the company recently entered licensing, co-development, or research partnerships in related areas?
• What rights are being offered — Japan only, regional rights, or something broader?
• What additional development or regulatory work could be required for Japan?

Regulatory considerations should also be evaluated separately. Depending on the asset and development plan, consultation with Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) may be relevant.

The goal is not necessarily to rebuild a global licensing package from scratch. In many cases, the more useful exercise is identifying which Japan-specific questions need to be addressed alongside the existing scientific and clinical package.

3. Build a Shortlist, Not Just a Database

A list of JPMA members — or hundreds of Japanese life science companies collected from databases — is only the beginning.

The next step is filtering that universe based on evidence of strategic fit.

Useful criteria can include:

• Therapeutic area
• Modality
• Development stage
• Current pipeline
• Recent licensing and partnership activity
• Existing international partnerships
• Publicly stated R&D priorities
• Commercial presence in the relevant disease area

Recent transactions can provide useful signals, but they should be interpreted carefully.

For example, a company that recently licensed an asset in a related therapeutic area may warrant further investigation. That does not necessarily mean the company is looking for another similar asset — only that there is evidence of relevant experience or strategic interest worth examining.

The objective is to move from:

Market universe → Evidence-based filtering → Prioritized shortlist

4. Where to Find and Meet Potential Partners

There is no single route to a Japanese pharmaceutical licensing team. Several channels can be useful depending on the company and opportunity.

BioJapan

BioJapan is held annually at Pacifico Yokohama and brings together biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic, and other life science organizations.

In addition to exhibitions and seminars, the event provides a one-to-one partnering system that allows participating organizations to request and arrange business meetings.

For overseas biotech companies considering Japan, the event can provide an opportunity to meet multiple potential partners within a concentrated period.

JETRO's J-Bridge

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) operates J-Bridge, a business matching program designed to support collaboration between Japanese and overseas companies.

J-Bridge covers areas including life sciences and healthcare and can support potential collaborations such as business alliances, technical cooperation, joint R&D, investment, and other forms of partnership.

For accepted overseas companies, information about the company and its collaboration needs can be translated into Japanese and introduced to Japanese companies through the program.

JETRO notes that meetings are invitation-based and that participating overseas companies are reviewed through its overseas offices.

Direct Outreach and Introductions

Direct outreach is another possible route.

Relevant contacts may sometimes be identified through company business development functions, corporate partnering pages, conferences, existing collaborators, investors, academic networks, or other professional relationships.

A warm introduction can also be valuable when it provides context and credibility before an initial discussion, but it is not the only way to begin a conversation.

The appropriate approach will depend on the target company and the nature of the opportunity.

5. What to Prepare Before Outreach

Before contacting potential partners, it can help to prepare a concise package that makes the opportunity easier to evaluate from a Japan perspective.

Depending on the asset, this may include:

• A concise description of the asset, mechanism, and development stage
• The target indication and unmet need
• Available preclinical or clinical evidence
• A summary of the competitive landscape, including relevant activity in Japan
• The type of partnership being sought
• The geographic rights available
• Relevant regulatory considerations
• Key development milestones and expected next steps

This does not necessarily require creating an entirely new Japan-specific deck.

The objective is to identify the information a potential Japanese partner may need in addition to the company's existing global materials.

6. Common Issues to Avoid

Several issues can make partner identification and outreach less efficient.

• Starting with too many companies. A large list without prioritization makes it difficult to research each company properly or tailor outreach to its actual interests.
• Using the same global materials without considering Japan-specific questions. Existing materials may already contain most of the necessary scientific information, but additional market, regulatory, or competitive context may be useful.
• Leaving the partnership objective unclear. Licensing, co-development, research collaboration, distribution, and other arrangements involve different counterparties and discussions.
• Interpreting an initial meeting as evidence of a potential transaction. An introductory discussion is primarily an opportunity for both sides to determine whether further evaluation makes sense.
• Focusing only on company names. The relevant business development function, therapeutic area team, partnering contact, or other internal stakeholder can be as important as identifying the company itself.

7. Plan for a Process, Not a Single Meeting

Licensing and partnership discussions should generally be planned as a process rather than a single interaction.

The actual timeline can vary significantly depending on the company, asset, development stage, transaction structure, internal review requirements, and level of due diligence required.

For companies considering BioJapan or another major industry event, it can therefore be useful to begin research and outreach before the event rather than treating the conference as the starting point.

This allows meetings to take place within a broader business development process.

Start With the Right Shortlist, Not the Longest One

Finding a potential pharmaceutical partner in Japan begins with understanding where an asset fits.

The most useful shortlist is not necessarily the largest one. It is a prioritized set of organizations supported by evidence of therapeutic, scientific, commercial, or strategic relevance.

That requires looking beyond company directories and asking:

Where does the asset fit? Which organizations have relevant capabilities or strategic interests? What evidence supports prioritizing them? And who should be approached first?