Biotechnology in pharmaceuticals: the Japanese challenge

The products of biotechnology are being developed for new diagnostics and therapeutics, and it is predicted that they will have great impact on the pharmaceutical industry. In the United States, pharmaceutical companies are incorporating biotechnology into their research and development programs, often with the contractual assistance of small biotechnology firms. Their strongest competition is arising in Japan, where there are now concerted government and industry efforts to expand biotechnology capabilities and to optimize commercialization. Strategies used by the United States and Japan to incorporate biotechnology into their pharmaceutical industries are examined and compared.