IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO

What IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO does

IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO (株式会社医薬情報研究所) is a privately held Japanese pharmaceutical information publishing company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Tokyo. The company maintains and continuously updates the proprietary YJ Code (YJコード) identification system for pharmaceutical products in Japan, operating a web-based YJ Code Search platform used for drug identification, pricing lookup, and regulatory classification. YJ codes are integrated into Japan's electronic prescription infrastructure, giving the system a structural role in healthcare administration.

The company's product portfolio spans three pillars: (1) reference book publishing — including the insurance drug dictionary series (保険薬事典Plus+), drug pricing references (薬価基準点数早見表, 薬効薬価リスト), contraindication lists, and generic drug guides — sold individually and priced at approximately ¥1,000–¥1,200 per volume; (2) the monthly peer-reviewed medical journal 『新薬と臨牀』 (Shin'yaku to Rinshou / Journal of New Remedies and Clinics), in continuous publication since 1952 (75 volumes), generating subscription and open access publication fee revenue; and (3) data sales through the DIYaku (医薬情報販売所) e-commerce portal, which sells pharmaceutical data files, drug pricing datasets, and YJ code tables for system integration. Distribution occurs via the company's own websites, third-party medical book retailers (じほう, 社会保障研究所), and a copyright licensing partnership with Medical Online.

Revenue is generated through one-time publication sales, recurring journal subscriptions, data monetization via DIYaku, and open access fees. The company serves four primary customer segments — pharmacies, medical institutions and clinics, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and health insurance claim processors — all within Japan. The firm employs 11–50 people, has never raised external funding, and shows no public listing signals. Strategic activity is limited to incremental product updates, reference book revisions, and database refreshes, consistent with a mature niche B2B publishing operation.

Name

IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO

Legal name

株式会社医薬情報研究所

Website

https://iyaku.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO is a privately held Japanese pharmaceutical information publisher operating the proprietary YJ Code drug identification system, publishing the monthly journal 『新薬と臨牀』 since 1952, and selling reference books and data files to pharmacies, medical institutions, and pharmaceutical companies across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Information Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical & Clinical Reference (Physicians, Nursing, Allied Health) (EDAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medication Inventory, Procurement & Supply Chain (Pharmacy) (HLACAKAI), Pricing Operations & Analytics (Price Governance, Systems, Reporting) (HLAIAKAK), Pharmacy Benefit/Channel Services (PSAO, 340B Admin, Chargebacks/Rebates Ops) (CRAOAHAK)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical reference publishing
• Drug pricing databases
• YJ code services
• Medical journal publishing
• Pharmaceutical data licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Sale of pharmaceutical reference books and publications including insurance drug dictionaries, drug price reference tables, and medical reimbursement catalogs
2. Data Sales: Sale of pharmaceutical data files, drug pricing information, and medical notification data through the DIYaku data sales site
3. Journal Subscription: Monthly journal 新薬と臨牀 (Shin-yaku to Rinsho / Journal of New Remedies and Clinics) subscription and individual article sales
4. Open Access Fees: Publication fees for open access papers in the journal 新薬と臨牀 (peer-reviewed articles)

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO publishes pharmaceutical reference books, drug pricing guides, contraindication lists, and drug identification manuals, and operates the YJ Code Search database for drug information lookup in Japan. It also publishes the monthly peer-reviewed medical journal 新薬と臨牀 (Shin'yaku to Rinsho / Journal of New Remedies and Clinics), now in its 75th volume. The company sells pharmaceutical data files, code tables, and historical archives through its DIYaku data sales portal (diyaku.jp).

Product overview

IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO (医薬情報研究所) operates as a pharmaceutical information publishing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of drug information products and services. The core offering is the YJ Code Search database platform for drug identification and management, complemented by the monthly peer-reviewed journal「新薬と臨牀」(Shin'yaku to Rinshou), now in its 75th volume. The company publishes extensive reference books including the insurance drug dictionary series (保険薬事典Plus+), drug pricing guides (薬価基準点数早見表, 薬効薬価リスト), contraindication lists (投薬禁忌リスト), and generic drug lists (ジェネリック医薬品リスト). Additional products include specialty publications like the drugs-NOTE quick reference series, pharmaceutical company directories (医薬品企業総覧), historical archives of drug pricing and medical fees (薬価アーカイブス, 診療報酬アーカイブス), and chronology publications documenting pharmaceutical administration (薬事行政年表). The company also provides data sales services through its DIYaku platform and maintains a public archive of pharmaceutical notices and medical council materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DIYaku（医薬情報販売所）: 株式会社医薬情報研究所の医薬品データ販売サイト（https://www.diyaku.jp/）。薬価収載データ、YJコードデータ、洋名表記データなどの販売を行っている。
• 新薬と臨牀
• YJコード
• 保険薬事典Plus+
• ドラッグノート

Products and services

• YJ Code Search (YJコード検索) Drug information database with YJ code-based management and search functionality. Used for drug identification, pricing, and regulatory classification across Japan's healthcare and insurance systems.
• Monthly Journal 新薬と臨牀 (Shin'yaku to Rinsho / Journal of New Remedies and Clinics) Monthly peer-reviewed medical journal publishing original research articles, reviews, and case studies on pharmaceutical and clinical topics. Published since 1952, available by monthly subscription with individual article sales.
• 保険薬事典Plus+ (Hokensho Yakuzai Jiten Plus+) Standard pharmaceutical reference book listing approximately 20,000 ethical drugs with indications, dosage, contraindications, adverse reactions, pricing, and regulatory classifications. Includes information on brand-name and generic drugs. Used as the standard drug dictionary for insurance claims.
• 薬価基準点数早見表 (Yakka Kijun Tensu Hayami-hyo) Quick-reference guide to drug pricing standards and medical service points, organized alphabetically by product name. Essential for medical billing and insurance claim processing.
• 薬効薬価リスト (Yakou Yakka List) Drug category and price reference list combining pharmacological classifications with pricing information. Used for insurance claims and billing purposes.
• 投薬禁忌リスト (Touyaku Kinki List) Compilation of drug contraindications, warnings, major adverse reactions, and drug-food interactions. Includes information on contraindicated drug combinations and special population restrictions.
• ジェネリック医薬品リスト (Generic Drug List) Reference guide for generic pharmaceutical products, enabling searches from brand-name drugs to their generic equivalents. Supports generic drug substitution decisions and generic usage promotion.
• ドラッグノート (Drugs-NOTE) Quick-reference drug guide designed for rapid lookup with concise explanations of drug mechanisms. Covers approximately 20,000 products with appended document information, including pediatric dosage tables, pregnancy categories, and food interaction information.
• レセプト事務のための薬効・薬価リスト Insurance claim reference combining drug efficacy classifications with pricing information. Designed for medical billing and insurance claim processing with YJ codes and receipt electronic codes.
• 識別ハンドブック (Identification Handbook) Drug identification guide enabling product name identification from tablet markings and PTP sheet markings. Helps distinguish products by physical characteristics.
• 日本医薬品集 医療薬2019 (Japanese Pharmaceutical Encyclopedia: Medical Drugs 2019) Comprehensive pharmaceutical encyclopedia covering approximately 20,000 ethical drugs with detailed prescribing information. Includes app access for book purchasers.
• 診療報酬アーカイブ1950-2014年 (Medical Fee Archive 1950-2014) Historical archive of medical fee revisions from 1950 to 2014, including Central Social Insurance Medical Council discussion materials and medical fee revision trends. Accompanied by CD-ROM with 2016 and 2018 revision data.
• 薬価アーカイブ1990-2010年 (Drug Price Archive 1990-2010) 20-year drug price transition data book covering major pharmaceutical products. Includes generic drug price movements and original drug pricing dates.
• 医薬品企業総覧 (Pharmaceutical Company Directory) Directory of 485 pharmaceutical-related companies, classified by business type (manufacturing/sales and wholesale). Includes company profiles, MR numbers, and drug pricing catalog counts.
• List of Japanese Ethical Drugs English-language version of pharmaceutical product listings, organizing Japanese ethical drugs by standardized product classifications with Western naming conventions.
• 診療報酬年表 (Medical Fee Chronology) Chronological record of medical fee revision trends centered on the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) from Showa 22 to Reiwa 4. Documents changes in medical system policies and related council reforms.
• 薬事行政年表 (Pharmaceutical Administration Chronology) Historical record of pharmaceutical administration and drug pricing systems from Showa 23 to Reiwa 4. Documents the evolution of drug regulatory and pricing frameworks in postwar Japan.
• 保険薬事典バックナンバーUSB (Hokensho Yakuzai Jiten Back Number USB) USB memory-based archive of Hokensho Yakuzai Jiten and Hokensho Yakuzai Jiten Plus+ back issues. Contains PDF files with search functionality for historical drug pricing and product information.
• DIYaku Data Sales Service (医薬情報販売所) Data sales service providing pharmaceutical data files, drug pricing information, and YJ code-related datasets for system integration and commercial use. Sold through diyaku.jp portal.
• 資料室 (Archive) Online archive containing pharmaceutical public notices, medical fee and pricing transitions, national healthcare statistics, drug classifications, and Central Social Insurance Medical Council materials.
• Mobile Applications for Drug Information Company-developed mobile applications for drug information including くすりぽちっとな (drug purchasing guide), Pediatric Dosage app, and 薬イズ (Drug-ize). Several apps have been discontinued (薬イズ discontinued April 2016; Pediatric Dosage apps 2012 and 2013 discontinued 2016 and 2017).

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 株式会社メテオ (Medical Online)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 October 2017Copyright licensing partnership for the journal 新薬と臨牀. Medical Online handles reprint permission requests and copyright services for articles published in the journal.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA Japan: IQVIA provides pharmaceutical market data, drug reference databases, and analytics to pharma companies and healthcare providers in Japan. It competes at the higher end of pharma information services that IYAKU addresses with its data sales portal.
• Igaku-Shoin (医学書院): Igaku-Shoin is a large Japanese medical publisher producing clinical textbooks, journals (週刊医学界新聞), and reference works. It is broader in scope than IYAKU but competes for the same healthcare professional reference budget.
• M3 (エムスリー): M3 runs Japan's dominant physician platform (m3.com) and drug information/clinical decision tools. It is a broader incumbent encroaching on digital drug-information distribution that competes for IYAKU's pharma advertising and reference attention.
• Wolters Kluwer (Medi-Span / Lexicomp): Wolters Kluwer's Medi-Span and Lexicomp provide drug pricing, identification, and clinical decision support databases integrated into hospital and pharmacy systems globally. It is the global incumbent in the drug code and pricing data space IYAKU occupies domestically.

Direct peers

• Jiho (株式会社じほう): Jiho is Japan's leading medical and pharmaceutical publisher, producing drug price lists (薬価情報), medical journals, and the Drug Information Update newsletter. It is the most directly comparable Japanese competitor in pharma reference publishing and distribution.
• JAPIC (Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center): JAPIC is a non-profit drug information center providing pharmaceutical databases (JAPIC DOC, JAPIC DailyMed JP), drug code services, and pharmaceutical reference materials. It is the closest functional peer in curated Japanese drug-information publishing.
• Yakuji Nippo (薬事日報社): Yakuji Nippo publishes the daily 薬事日報 newspaper covering pharmaceutical regulation, drug prices, and industry news, alongside reference materials for pharmacies. It overlaps directly with IYAKU's regulatory and pricing intelligence niche.

Others

• Medical Online (株式会社メテオ): Medical Online operates Japan's largest medical journal/article platform and is an existing channel partner of IYAKU for 新薬と臨牀 copyright licensing. It is a digital distribution counterpart rather than a direct publisher competitor.

Emerging players

• Kyorinsho (杏林書院): Kyorinsho publishes clinical pharmacology and therapeutics reference books for Japanese healthcare professionals. It is a smaller specialty publisher with overlapping pharmaceutical reference titles.
• Nanzando (南山堂): Nanzando publishes medical dictionaries, clinical handbooks, and pharmaceutical references used by Japanese clinicians and pharmacists. It is a smaller, more narrowly focused peer in the same medical/pharma reference publishing category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 IYAKU JOHO KENKYUJO