（株）医薬経済社

What （株）医薬経済社 does

(株)医薬経済社 (Iyakukeizai-sha Co., Ltd.) is a privately held Japanese pharmaceutical and healthcare media company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Operating with a core team of 6 employees, the company produces a portfolio of B2B media products for the Japanese pharmaceutical industry, including RISFAX (a daily pharmaceutical news service), Pharma Future+ (international pharma news), 医薬経済ONLINE (Iyakukeizai ONLINE, a web magazine on pharmaceutical economics and policy), and 新ファルマ・フューチャー (Shin Pharma Future, a bimonthly global pharma business analysis report). The company's proprietary technology stack comprises web-based publishing and digital media distribution platforms, supplemented by the Sma-RIS smartphone application for mobile news access (redesigned in March 2024) and the RISBOX document-sharing platform for industry resources. Content is focused on Japanese pharmaceutical regulation, drug pricing policy, manufacturer activities, regulatory actions, and global pharma market rankings.

Iyakukeizai-sha generates revenue through four primary streams: recurring subscriptions to RISFAX, Pharma Future+, and 医薬経済 (annual ¥55,000–¥66,000), specialized market research reports sold as one-time/perpetual licenses (¥132,000–¥726,000), banner and email advertising across owned media properties (RISFAX, 医薬経済ONLINE, RIS mail), and book/back-issue sales through its e-commerce storefront and bookstore distribution via 鍬谷書店 (Kuwatani Shoten). The company's primary customer segment is Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking intelligence on regulatory and market developments, with secondary segments including medical device companies, pharmaceutical wholesalers, medical representatives (MRs), R&D professionals, and government/regulatory bodies.

The company's go-to-market is sales-led and content-driven: a direct sales motion handling subscriptions and market research reports via online order forms, supported by owned media properties (risfax.co.jp, iyakukeizai.com) and email newsletter distribution, with advertising sales targeting pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. A content integration with Dow Jones provides subscribers with international financial and business news relevant to the pharmaceutical industry. Operations are geographically concentrated in Japan, and the company operates as an independent publishing enterprise without disclosed external investors or parent-company relationships.

Name

（株）医薬経済社

Legal name

株式会社 医薬経済社

Website

https://risfax.co.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iyakukeizai-sha Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical industry media company founded in 1988, publishing RISFAX daily news, Iyakukeizai ONLINE web magazine, and Shin Pharma Future global analysis reports for Japanese pharma manufacturers, professionals, and regulators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Industry Media and Information Services

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAGAA

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

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional & Technical Reference Publishing

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical industry news
• Pharma market research
• Healthcare media publishing
• Regulatory intelligence services
• Pharma business analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue (RISFAX, Pharma Future+, 医薬経済): The company generates recurring subscription revenue from RISFAX daily news, Pharma Future+ global pharma business analysis reports, and 医薬経済 magazine. 医薬経済 transitioned from print to web-only in May 2020. 新ファルマ・フューチャー is sold as annual subscription (direct sales model) or individual issues.
2. Book and Back Issue Sales: Sale of books, historical magazine back issues, and publications through the company's shopping portal and bookstores.
3. Advertising: The company sells banner advertising on 医薬経済ONLINE, RISFAX homepage, RIS email advertising, and e-book versions. Advertisers are pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and related healthcare businesses.
4. Market Research Reports: Sale of specialized market research reports (PDF and CD-ROM) on topics including psychiatric/neurological disease patient numbers, Digital Therapeutics (DTx), Medical MaaS, and pharmaceutical licensing agreements. Prices range from ¥132,000 to ¥726,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

株式会社医薬経済社 is a Japanese pharmaceutical industry publishing company that produces daily pharmaceutical and healthcare news through its RISFAX service, the web subscription magazine 医薬経済ONLINE (formerly print until May 2020), and the bimonthly global pharma analysis report 新ファルマ・フューチャー. It also sells specialized market research reports, books, the Sma-RIS smartphone app, and advertising space on its media properties to pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and healthcare industry stakeholders.

Product overview

（株）医薬経済社 is a pharmaceutical industry publishing company offering a comprehensive media portfolio centered on the RISFAX news platform and the 医薬経済 magazine. The core offerings include RISFAX (daily pharmaceutical news service), Pharma Future+ (international pharma news), 医薬経済ONLINE (web magazine on pharmaceutical economics), and 新ファルマ・フューチャー (global pharmaceutical business analysis reports with manufacturer/drug rankings). Additional products include the Sma-RIS smartphone app, market research reports, and various books on pharmaceutical topics. The company transitioned 医薬経済 from print to web-only in May 2020. Distribution channels include direct subscription, bookstore sales, and the shopping platform at risfax.co.jp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RISFAX: Daily pharmaceutical industry news service
• Pharma Future+
• 医薬経済ONLINE
• RISBOX
• 地域医療情報

Products and services

• RISFAX A daily pharmaceutical industry news service providing timely news about the Japanese and global pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare sectors, including daily news articles, industry analysis, and regulatory updates. Designed for pharmaceutical companies, medical representatives, and healthcare industry professionals.
• Pharma Future+ A section within RISFAX providing international pharmaceutical business news and analysis, covering topics such as M&A, drug approvals, and global market trends for Japanese pharmaceutical industry subscribers.
• 医薬経済ONLINE An online subscription magazine covering pharmaceutical economics, healthcare policy, and industry trends in Japan. Originally published in print format, it transitioned to web-only in May 2020 and is now exclusively available as a web subscription service.
• 新ファルマ・フューチャー (New Pharma Future) A comprehensive global pharmaceutical business analysis report providing rankings of pharmaceutical manufacturers, drug sales by therapeutic category, market analysis, and industry trend information. Published bimonthly with both print and web subscription options for pharmaceutical industry subscribers.
• Sma-RIS アプリ (Smartphone Application) A smartphone application for browsing RISFAX pharmaceutical industry news, allowing users to access industry news anytime and anywhere. Available for purchase as a one-time license at ¥297,000 (tax included).
• 市場調査レポート (Market Research Reports) Specialized market research reports covering therapeutic areas such as psychiatric/neurological disorders patient numbers, Digital Therapeutics (DTx), Medical MaaS services, and pharmaceutical licensing agreements. Available in PDF, corporate PDF, Excel data, and book formats for pharmaceutical industry buyers.
• RISBOX A document sharing and resource library service within the RISFAX platform, providing subscribers access to industry reports, presentation materials, and reference documents relevant to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.
• Advertising Services (Banner and Email Advertising) Banner advertising on 医薬経済ONLINE, the RISFAX homepage, RIS email advertising, and e-book versions sold to pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and related healthcare businesses seeking reach into the Japanese pharmaceutical industry audience.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 週刊ダイヤモンド (Weekly Diamond): Major Japanese business magazine with significant pharma industry coverage and an online platform reaching many of the same pharma executives. Comparable as a competing advertising and subscription platform for pharma decision-makers.
• Scrip / Pink Sheet (Informa): Global pharma industry intelligence and news services from Informa serving pharma executives with daily news, analysis, and in-depth reports. Comparable as premium pharma intelligence subscription but at global scale with much larger resources.
• Intage (Pharma Japan): Established Japanese market research and data company with deep pharmaceutical intelligence offerings including SELLWIN and pharma sales data. Comparable as a research-driven pharma intelligence provider but with significantly broader scope and resources.

Direct peers

• AnswersNews: Online-only news service covering pharmaceutical industry, drug approvals, and healthcare policy in Japan. Direct competitor in daily/news segment with similar digital-native distribution.
• ミクス (Mix): Long-standing Japanese pharmaceutical industry publisher covering pharma news, drug databases, and market intelligence. Directly comparable product portfolio including subscriptions and market research.
• CBnews (Medical News): Japanese healthcare/pharmaceutical news outlet serving similar pharma professionals, with coverage of pharmacy, drug pricing, and regulatory issues. Comparable digital-first publishing model.
• じほう (Jiho): Japanese healthcare and pharmaceutical publishing company producing newspapers, magazines, books, and electronic content targeting the same pharma and regulatory audience. Directly comparable in scope and customer base.
• Chemical Daily (Kagaku Kogyo Nippo): Japanese newspaper covering chemical, pharmaceutical, and life science industries with daily news and subscription model. Comparable in industry coverage, format, and B2B subscription approach.
• 日刊薬業新聞 (Nikkan Yakugyo Shimbun): Direct competitor publishing Japan-focused daily pharmaceutical industry news with very similar coverage of drug pricing, regulatory affairs, and pharma company news. Highly comparable in business model, audience, and product mix.

Regional players

• Pharma Japan (Pharma Japan News): Japanese-market pharma industry news and intelligence service. Comparable in subscriber base and coverage of Japanese pharma regulatory and commercial news.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%EF%BC%88%E6%A0%AA%EF%BC%89%E5%8C%BB%E8%96%AC%E7%B5%8C%E6%B8%88%E7%A4%BE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 （株）医薬経済社