Biotech Values

[biophud]

Dew--a couple of quick questions/comments re marketing drugs in Japan

When I see a headline like this, I wonder why does a large company like AMGN need a Japanese partner to market its drugs? This seems to be a general trend in which large pharmaceutical companies partner with Japanese companies to market in Japan. Is this because of cultural, political, or regulatory reasons? Is there an example of a large US/European drug company that markets its drugs in Japan without a Japanese partner? Are there laws/protectionist policies that prevent foreign companies from marketing in Japan?

To the best of my knowledge there are no megacap Japanese drug companies (compared to US and European drug companies), please correct me if I am wrong.

Comments appreciated,

biophud