Manufacturing
At Sawai, we manufacture well approx. 800 types of drugs for the Japanese market. Annually, this amounts to more than 10 billion tablets and over 25 million units of liquid medications. In our manufacturing operations, we stand committed both to unsurpassed quality and the sense of mission derived from developing life-saving drugs.
This is made possible by around 2,000 production staff who harness the extensive knowledge and experience built up over the years to achieve industrial production for all approved products in just 1 year and 4 months from the date of application.
Across our supply chain, we also work directly with a large number of stakeholders — our purchasing department alone trades with more than 700 companies. Accordingly, we feel a great sense of responsibility in our relationships with our partners and society, and work to reflect this in all aspects of our operations.
Research & Development
R&D department's mission is to bring generic drugs to the market as soon after the patent expiration or reexamination completion. Also we look for ideas to add value all the time and shape these to our products in the fastest and most cost-effective way possible. This has helped to substantially reduce the medical expenses of the people we serve in Japan.
Our technologies including controlled release technology have played a significant role in ensuring our new products are the first to market, and we now are one of the leading companies in Japan to develop and offer a wide range of generics.
Orally-disintegrating formulations in Sawai have also been pivotal in
improving the quality of life of patients who take several medications
daily. These unique formulations have proven to be a powerful factor
setting us apart from other drug manufacturers, particularly in this
industry with aggressive patent strategies and fierce competition over
intellectual properties.
We also take a cross-organizational,
whole-company approach to investigating a range of consumer issues and
apply these findings to improve our products.
Quality Control
At Sawai, we carry a lineup of approx. 300 compounds with 800 strengths. We actively invest in the latest equipment and facilities in order to ensure the highest level of quality
Japan is considered one of the strictest countries in the world in terms of quality control for pharmaceuticals. To meet the demands of this market, our company is committed to the uncompromising pursuit of quality, placing great importance on managing and guaranteeing our products' performance. At each step of the manufacturing process — from receipt of materials and ingredients to in-process control and final product confirmation — we implement a wide range of tests using in-house standards more rigorous than those nationally required. These strict inspections help ensure the highest level of quality. Even after the product is shipped, we continue to carry out detailed tests on samples stored in our factories as part of our comprehensive system of quality assurance.
We also audit and direct to improve manufacturing operations at both our company’s factories and those of our partners. This includes overseeing everything from the preparation of raw materials and drug formulations to packaging and distribution for the around 500 companies we audit. By committing to strict and comprehensive oversight on all of these processes we are able to ship products, confident in the level of their quality.