Owen Mumford’s exclusive agreement with Osaka-based NIPRO CORPORATION to distribute drug delivery device UniSafe has achieved rapid early growth in combination product sales in Japan.

The agreement has been in place since 2019 and has scored a major new product launch success in delivering a biosimilar product used with cancer medicines into the Japanese market.

Since the launch of the product in late 2023, it has already acquired a considerable share of its market in Japan, including the original biologic combination product. This success within just the first three months of commercial availability has exceeded expectations at NIPRO and Owen Mumford.

The biosimilar product is delivered through Owen Mumford’s UniSafe safety syringe, a unique springless, passive safety device for 1mL pre-filled syringes that is designed to overcome some of the challenges of traditional spring-based safety systems. The absence of a spring means UniSafe is reliable, intuitive and easy to use. The design of the secure plunger helps to prevent re-use and accidental removal. UniSafe is also designed to prevent needlestick injury.

Masanobu Iwasa, Director of the PharmaPackaging Division at NIPRO, commented, “Japan has a particularly stringent regulatory environment, and so that makes our rapid and early success with the product all the more gratifying. Our careful development process, in tandem with our Owen Mumford partnership, has clearly appealed to clinicians and their patients alike. The product’s rapid take-up shows that we are meeting a true market demand.”

Tim Holden, Commercial Head, Pharmaceutical Services at Owen Mumford, added: “We are very committed to the Japanese market, with an established presence that has recently been greatly enhanced through our partnership with NIPRO over UniSafe. Healthcare in Japan is growing strongly, with healthcare spending rising by over a fifth between 2018 and 2025. In partnership with NIPRO, we intend to continue bringing innovative therapies to Japanese patients.”