Lisa provides editorial coverage of all aspects of Japan’s prescription drug market for Scrip and Pink Sheet, including company, market, pricing and regulatory developments, as well as publishing podcast content regularly in the local Japanese language. Lisa brings close to a decade of experience working in either international teams or reporting, writing and editing, including in broadcast media through an internship as a TV reporter in Canada. Most recently, she covered the IT sector for ITmedia Enterprise in Japan. Lisa is bilingual in Japanese and English. She speaks basic French and Mandarin with keen interests in learning new languages. She holds an MA in Fine Art from Tokyo University of the Arts as well as a Master’s in Journalism from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Canada.
Latest from Lisa Takagi
Takeda, Astellas, Daiichi Sankyo, Chugai, Shionogi all revised their annual forecasts upwards due to forex rate impact and saw mostly solid overseas sales growth in the fiscal first half.
Along with several new positive approval recommendations, Japan's proceeding to grant Sakigake designation to two drugs including a DMD gene therapy discovered through public collaboration. Meanwhile, the PMDA has opened a new full-time office in the US.
Decision contrasts with successful journey in the US, where it was approved with Fast Track designation in 2023. Astellas says its considering “every potential action” to bring GA drug to patients in Europe.
Japan is cautiously easing Japanese clinical data requirements for rare disease drugs to allow faster and more flexible approvals, including on a conditional basis supported by postmarketing studies.
Plus deal news involving LianBio/NImmune, REGiMMUNE/Kiji, Chengdu Baiyu/Novartis, Orasis/Optus, Takeda/Wave Life Sciences, Ono/LigaChem, Alchem/Sonnet, Astellas/AviadoBio, Innovent/Ask Pharm and Dr Reddy’s/Gilead.
Multiple Japanese ventures presented updates on their novel pipeline assets and modalities at BioJapan, including cell and gene therapies and combination treatments, despite lingering financing challenges.