Takeda Pharmaceutical’s new Ozeifuru tablets (obeporexton) have received manufacturing and marketing approval in Japan, and the procedure for listing them on the National Health Insurance drug price list is progressing toward 14 October 2026. The domestic treatment population is limited to type 1 narcolepsy, with the domestic peak estimated at 423 patients treated and sales of ¥704 million.
Ozeifuru tablets, developed by Takeda Pharmaceutical, have been approved in Japan as a treatment for type 1 narcolepsy, and materials issued on the same date reported that procedures to list the drug on the National Health Insurance drug price list were progressing. Use in Japan is limited to NT1, and the figures presented differ from the sales forecast for global expansion.
The domestic peak is expected to involve 423 treated patients, with annual sales calculated at approximately ¥7.04 billion. The drug price for a 1 mg dose administered twice daily is stated to be ¥45,585 per day, with annual drug costs estimated at approximately ¥16.6 million. These figures are domestic assumptions and are compared with the global outlook.
The global peak forecast is said to reach $2–3 billion, while some believe that the Japanese market is relatively small. Data from the Japan Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency and prevalence data from JMDC are cited, along with differences in the patient mix and treatment rates for NT1 and NT2.
Because clinical efficacy was not demonstrated in clinical trials targeting NT2 (type 2 narcolepsy), development for NT2 was discontinued, limiting the indication to NT1. Estimates of the number of narcolepsy patients in Japan and the market structure for treatments are the main subjects of discussion.