TOKYO — Japanese pharmaceutical companies are ramping up investment to build a domestic supply chain for antibiotics, fueled by government subsidies designed to reduce the nation’s reliance on China for critical medicines.
Fujifilm Toyama Chemical, a subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings, will invest about 10 billion yen ($67.3 million) to expand its plant in the city of Toyama. By 2028, the company plans to begin mass producing ampicillin hydrate, an active pharmaceutical ingredient (APIs) essential to the production of penicillin-based antibiotics, and to step up production of other APIs.
