Japanese MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) asks firms to sharpen up competitive drive
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Japanese medical device companies are being asked by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to become more competitive. In a recently published industry "vision" for the local medical devices sector, the MHLW urges the national industry to draft strategies to make themselves better able to compete in the international arena. Imports of medical devices have risen at a fast rate over the last decade, reaching 42% of the Japanese market (estimated variously at up to $24-25bn) in 2000.