IKUO OGIHARA

President
Kyorin Co., Ltd.

Sharing space with very large competitors in the global pharmaceuticals market—some of whom may also turn out to be predators—does not faze Ikuo Ogihara, the dynamic president of Kyorin Co., Ltd., the core of a growing pharmaceuticals-oriented group. Ogihara was an elite downhill skier in his youth, and these days is an avid golfer and bicyclist. He thrives on competition, which he says gives him a healthy sense of anticipation and keeps him alert to risks and opportunities. “Though many global firms have enormous research and marketing budgets,” he says, “there is still plenty of room for a smaller, more focused player like Kyorin to succeed.”

“Marketing, innovation and challenge
are what drive this firm today.”


Expertise as a specialized drug maker helps Kyorin maintain a pipeline of new and potentially promising drug compounds. But Ogihara also relies on the savvy management skills he has honed since taking over the business ten years ago. His first challenge was to rationalize the company, trimming payroll and building up the IT infrastructure. Today, a stronger Kyorin has expanded into manufacturing and selling generic drugs, is developing a healthcare business and even markets cosmetic products. The company bought a biotech firm in southern California and conducts collaborative research with a consortium of universities in Scotland, aiming to develop revolutionary new drugs for global markets. Still, Kyorin’s main strategy is to focus on its home market.

“Worldwide, there is pressure on national health systems to reduce government subsidies for drugs and medical procedures,” Ogihara says. “This is true in many parts of Europe, as well as here in Japan. In the U.S. [which doesn’t have national health insurance], patent expiry can lead to a drastic loss of revenues when generics arrive on the market. Here in Japan, the advantage for a company like Kyorin is that even when a patent expires, prices do not plummet immediately, and a drug can retain value for some time.”

Japan can take pride in the longevity of its population, which some might see as a promising market for a drug company. However, Ogihara emphasizes Kyorin’s duty to help people stay healthy, not just to recover from illness.

“Since our founding over 80 years ago, it has been our obligation as a company to help people lead healthy lives,” he says. Prevention can be as important as treatment, he insists, which explains why Japan’s wellness and fitness markets are booming.

Ogihara is no exception. “A few years ago, I realized that I wasn’t getting enough exercise,” he says with a smile. “I started riding a bicycle, built up my endurance, and now I ride up to 75 miles per day.” He also sponsors triathlon clinics for school-age children, and contracts with one of the instructors to work as a physical trainer.

His motto, often repeated in the frequent talks he has with company employees, is to “have the courage to stay one step ahead” in all things. He encourages employees from a wide variety of departments to take study leaves overseas, usually in blocks of six months. Thus, for example, an employee might study in the U.S. or in Europe for half a year, returning to Kyorin with a very different perspective and skill set. “They come back full of positive energy and new ideas,” he says proudly.

“When my father asked me to take over the company, he recognized that we were quite different personalities, but he gave me the freedom to do things my way,” says Ogihara. “Marketing, innovation and challenge are what drive this firm today.”

A native of Gunma Prefecture, Ogihara attended Meiji University in Tokyo, graduating in 1977. He entered Kyorin Pharmaceuticals in 1981, and was promoted to director in the same year. Fourteen years later he was named vice president, and in 1997 he was appointed to the post of president. In 2006, the company was reorganized as a holding company, with Ogihara as its president.

www.kyorin-pharm.co.jp/eg/index.html