Matsuda & Partners to Host Online Seminar on the 2025 Amendments to Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act

Matsuda & Partners Law Office, based in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo and led by managing attorney Junichi Matsuda of the Tokyo Bar Association, will release an online seminar titled “Overview of the 2025 Amendments to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act: Focusing on Provisions Effective May 1, 2026” on Monday, June 8, 2026. The seminar will be available on demand via unlisted YouTube access for registered participants only. Those who register in advance will be able to watch the seminar at their convenience during the streaming period. Background: The 2025 amendments to Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act are scheduled to begin taking effect on May 1, 2026. The reforms include revisions to sales practices at pharmacies and retail drug stores, stricter regulations on designated abuse-prevention medicines, and streamlining of development and manufacturing processes for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related products. The amendments also include provisions scheduled to take effect in 2027 and beyond, such as stronger governance requirements and measures related to stable supply systems, making the reforms broad in impact for businesses. Based on the December 26, 2025 notice issued by the Director-General of the Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the seminar will mainly organize the amendments taking effect on May 1, 2026. It will also summarize amendments scheduled for 2027 and beyond, outlining the direction of future regulatory changes that businesses should keep in view. Seminar Overview: Title: “Overview of the 2025 Amendments to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act: Focusing on Provisions Effective May 1, 2026” Streaming start: Monday, June 8, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. Format: Unlisted YouTube streaming, available only to registered participants Fee: Free Registration: Apply through the seminar details page. Viewing URLs will be sent separately to registrants. Program: ・Overview of the amended Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act and implementation schedule ・Amendments affecting pharmacies and retail drug stores, effective May 2026 ・Stronger regulation of designated abuse-prevention medicines and field compliance ・Streamlining development and manufacturing processes for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related products, effective May 2026 ・Governance strengthening and stable supply system development, scheduled for 2027 and beyond Target Audience: ・Businesses and personnel seeking to understand the full picture and direction of the amended Act ・Those who first want to understand the institutional framework of the amendments effective May 2026 ・Those who want to prepare for future amendments and establish a basis for response planning Speakers: Attorney Jing Xu, Tokyo Bar Association Xu focuses on healthcare and healthtech legal matters, including legality reviews of business schemes, contract and terms reviews, advertising reviews, misconduct response, personal information and data-related legal matters, investigations, and crisis management. Xu also writes and speaks widely on topics including the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, legality of medical device and healthtech businesses, advertising and labeling regulations, and crisis response for healthcare businesses. Attorney Takuya Nagaki, Daini Tokyo Bar Association After working as an in-house attorney at Kakaku.com, Inc., Nagaki joined Matsuda & Partners in 2023. His practice focuses on medical and healthcare legal matters, advertising and labeling regulations, including the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, and the Health Promotion Act, as well as IT and information law. He also writes and speaks widely on topics such as amendments to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, pharmaceutical risk management, and advertising compliance for medical institutions, medical devices, and healthtech businesses. Contact: Inquiries regarding the seminar or legal consultations are welcome. Address: 10F Taisei Otemachi Building, 2-1-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan TEL: 03-3272-0101 FAX: 03-3272-0102 Email: seminar3@jmatsuda-law.com Healthcare and Healthtech Legal Services website: http://www.jmatsuda-law.com/