Kyowa Pharmaceutical

What Kyowa Pharmaceutical does

Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd. (共和薬品工業株式会社) is a Japan-based specialty generic pharmaceutical manufacturer founded in 1954 and headquartered in Osaka. Since 1996 the company has operated with an exclusive focus on central nervous system (CNS) medications, building a proprietary "Amer" branded generic lineup that as of April 2025 covered 92 active ingredients and 263 products across five CNS sub-categories: psychotropic agents (27 ingredients/114 products), anti-Parkinson drugs (8/14), hypnotics/sedatives/anxiolytics (13/29), antiepileptics (8/25), and other CNS drugs (7/23). The company also markets selected specialty branded products, most notably Bipesso SR (quetiapine fumarate extended-release) for bipolar disorder, whose marketing authorization was assumed from Astellas Pharma in April 2023.

The company runs a vertically integrated manufacturing and distribution model. Two oral solid-dosage plants — the Sanda Factory (Hyogo) and the Tottori Factory (completed March 2017, ~¥8 billion capex, ~1 billion tablets of annual capacity) — feed two regional logistics centers in Amagasaki (Hanshin) and Kasukabe (Saitama, opened May 2020) that together provide nationwide coverage. A specialized Medical Representative (MR) sales force delivers CNS-specific product information to hospitals, psychiatric clinics, and pharmacies, both face-to-face and online, while last-mile distribution is handled through major pharmaceutical wholesalers and regional sales partners (特約店/KAM). Pricing is set by Japan's NHI drug price list rather than direct negotiation.

Commercially, Kyowa is a privately held, PE-backed business. Unison Capital acquired the company from India's Lupin via LBO in December 2019, and in March 2024 all shares were acquired by JAE Holdings (合同会社ジェイ・アイ・エイチ). For the fiscal year ending March 2025, the company reported ¥27.8 billion in revenue and 519 employees. The recent strategic cadence has emphasized product-line expansion (Lacosamide "Amer" launched December 2025, Perampanel "Amer" launched June 2026), regulatory compliance remediation following a March 2022 administrative disposition related to GMP non-conformities, and the wind-down of non-core experiments such as the RHYTHM corporate mental-health service (ended March 2025).

Name

Kyowa Pharmaceutical

Legal name

共和약품공업주식회사

Website

https://kyowayakuhin.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kyowa Pharmaceutical is a Japan-based specialty generic drug manufacturer focused exclusively on CNS (central nervous system) medications, marketing the "Amer" brand portfolio of 263 products to hospitals, psychiatric clinics, and pharmacies nationwide via wholesalers and a dedicated Medical Representative network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Generic CNS Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neurology & Psychiatry (CNS) Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAF), Generic Hospital & Institutional Products (HLAIABAL)

Keywords

• Generic pharmaceuticals
• CNS medications
• Psychiatric drug formulations
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Antiepileptic generics

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Generic Pharmaceutical Sales: Sales of generic drugs under the Amel brand, covering 92 ingredients and 263 products across CNS therapeutic categories as of April 2025.
2. Long-listed Brand Products: Sales of long-listed (off-patent) brand products acquired from companies like Shionogi, including 21 products acquired in August 2016.
3. Branded New Drug Sales: Sales of new drugs including Bipesso SR tablets (quetiapine fumarate extended-release) for bipolar disorder, acquired from Astellas Pharma in April 2023.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Kyowa Pharmaceutical develops, manufactures, and markets a proprietary line of CNS-focused generic pharmaceutical formulations under the 'Amer' brand, plus specialty branded drugs. Its portfolio covers 92 active ingredients and 263 products spanning psychotropic agents, antiparkinsonian drugs, hypnotics/sedatives/anxiolytics, antiepileptics, and other CNS medications, with dosage forms including tablets, orally disintegrating (OD) tablets, dry syrups, and fine granules. Specialty branded offerings include Bipesso SR tablets (brexpiprazole sustained-release) for bipolar disorder depression.

Product overview

Kyowa Pharmaceutical operates a dual business model centered on its proprietary 'Amer' brand of generic pharmaceuticals and specialty CNS drugs. The core product is the Amer brand generic drug portfolio covering five CNS categories: psychotropic agents (27 ingredients/114 products), anti-Parkinson drugs (8/14), hypnotics/sedatives/anti-anxiety (13/29), anti-epileptics (8/25), and other CNS drugs (7/23) - totaling 92 ingredients and 263 products as of April 2025. The company also markets specialty pharmaceuticals including Brexpiprazole Sustained-Release Tablets (ビプレッソ徐放錠) for bipolar disorder depression and novel generics like Perampanel and Lacosamide anti-epileptics. Previously, Kyowa operated a non-medical mental health service (RHYTHM) and digital health promotion programs, though these services have been discontinued.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• アメル (Amer): Self-brand for generic pharmaceuticals, including various tablet and oral dosage forms
• RHYTHM (リズム)

Products and services

• Amer brand generic CNS pharmaceutical portfolio (Amer brand generics) Self-branded line of generic CNS pharmaceuticals marketed by Kyowa Pharmaceutical in Japan. Available in tablets, OD (orally disintegrating) tablets, dry syrups, and fine granules, spanning five CNS categories for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, insomnia, dementia, epilepsy, ADHD, and Parkinson's disease.
• Bipesso SR tablets (Brexpiprazole sustained-release tablets 50mg/150mg) Specialty branded sustained-release brexpiprazole product for treatment of depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder, marketed in Japan by Kyowa Pharmaceutical after acquiring approval from Astellas Pharma. Available in 50mg and 150mg sustained-release formulations.
• Perampanel Amer (Perampanel Tablets 2mg/4mg 'Amer' and Perampanel Fine Granules 1% 'Amer') Amer-branded generic version of Eisai's Fycompa (perampanel), an antiepileptic drug, available in tablet (2mg, 4mg) and fine granule (1%) formulations. Listed on Japan's NHI drug price list as of June 2026.
• Lacosamide Amer (Lacosamide Tablets 50mg/100mg 'Amer' and Lacosamide DS 10% 'Amer') Amer-branded generic version of UCB's Vimpat (lacosamide), an antiepileptic drug, available in tablet (50mg, 100mg) and dry syrup (10%) formulations. Listed on Japan's NHI drug price list as of December 2025.
• Blonanserin Amer (antipsychotic) Amer-branded generic antipsychotic (blonanserin) used for the treatment of schizophrenia, available in tablet and powder formulations as part of Kyowa's CNS portfolio.
• Atomoxetine Amer (ADHD treatment) Amer-branded generic atomoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, part of Kyowa's CNS portfolio.
• Lamivudine/Abacavir Amer (anti-HIV combination) First generic anti-HIV combination drug in Japan, an Amer-branded antiviral chemotherapy agent combining lamivudine and abacavir sulfate, distributed by Kyowa Pharmaceutical.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Neo Krit Care Pharma (ネオクリティケア製薬)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 November 2023Promotion and post-marketing survey partnership for Imunomax-gamma and Imunes injections ended November 2023.
• FRONTEOminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020Business partnership for conversational AI dementia diagnostic support program. The partnership was terminated in August 2021 after agreement between both parties.
• NeuroCare Group (ニューロケアグループ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2020Capital partnership where Kyowa invested in newly issued shares of NeuroCare Group (based in Munich, Germany), gaining equity stake in the German neuroscience company.
• neo ALAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2019Sale of 100% shares of Kyowa Crit Care (共和クリティケア) subsidiary to neo ALA in September 2019. Kyowa Crit Care specialized in soft bag injectable manufacturing and self-sales.
• Yoshitomi Pharmaceutical (吉富薬品)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 February 2019Co-promotion partnership with Yoshitomi Pharmaceutical (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma) for Bipesso SR tablets (quetiapine fumarate extended-release) for bipolar disorder. Joint promotion started March 2019 and ended March 2023.
• Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical (日医工)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 19 June 2018Licensing agreement for Etanercept Biosimilar (Etanercept BS 'Nichi-Iko') - Kyowa out-licensed the product to Nichi-Iko for exclusive sales. Nichi-Iko holds exclusive distribution rights while Kyowa transferred manufacturing approval in February 2020.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eisai: Major Japanese pharmaceutical company whose originator drug Fycompa (perampanel) is being genericized by Kyowa. Comparable in CNS therapeutic focus and Japan presence, though at originator scale.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical: Major Japanese pharmaceutical company and a CNS innovator (Abilify). Overlaps with Kyowa in CNS therapeutic focus and Japanese market presence, but operates at a far larger scale across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma: Major Japanese pharmaceutical company, parent of Kyowa's former co-promotion partner Yoshitomi Pharmaceutical. Comparable as a broad-line Japanese pharma with CNS presence and overlap in distribution channels.
• Sumitomo Pharma: Large Japanese pharmaceutical company with a strong CNS and specialty psychiatry portfolio (Latuda). Comparable in CNS therapeutic focus and Japan-centric distribution but at a broader and larger scale than Kyowa.
• UCB (Belgium): Originator of Vimpat (lacosamide), which Kyowa now genericizes in Japan. Comparable as a CNS-focused player but operates globally and at innovator scale rather than Japan's generic market.
• Astellas Pharma: Major Japanese originator pharmaceutical company and Kyowa's counterparty on the Bipesso SR marketing transfer. Comparable as a Japan-headquartered pharma, though Astellas is far larger and originator-focused versus Kyowa's generic model.

Direct peers

• Sawai Group Holdings: One of Japan's largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturers with broad CNS coverage. Directly comparable to Kyowa as a domestic Japan-based generic pharma with similar GTM through wholesalers and MRs.
• Towa Pharmaceutical: Japanese generic pharmaceutical manufacturer with extensive CNS and chronic-disease product lines. Comparable to Kyowa in business model (generic manufacturer), geographic focus (Japan), and channel structure (wholesalers + medical reps).
• Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical: Japan's largest generic drug maker and a former Kyowa licensing partner for the Etanercept biosimilar. Direct competitor in Japan's prescription generic market, including CNS and chronic disease categories.
• Zeria Pharmaceutical: Mid-cap Japanese pharma with strong gastrointestinal and CNS franchises. Comparable to Kyowa as a Japan-based specialty pharma with therapeutic-area focus and prescription distribution through wholesalers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kyowa-pharmaceutical-industry-co.-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kyowa Pharmaceutical