This overview organizes candidate suppliers of blood glucose meters in Japan and their domestic supply arrangements. It summarizes the presence of 4 major domestic manufacturers, trends among foreign-owned companies, key points to confirm when procuring equipment, and requirements by use case.
This article organizes companies that could supply blood glucose meters in Japan. The list includes Roche Diabetes Care, Abbott, Medtronic, Terumo, Nipro, ARKRAY, サンワ科学研究所, PHC Holdings, Dexcom, and Johnson & Johnson (LifeScan), among others, and presents both domestic and overseas supply models.
The 4 companies that have established positions in Japan as fully domestic manufacturers are Terumo, Nipro, ARKRAY and サンワ科学研究所. PHC Holdings has production and sales bases in Japan following its acquisition of Bayer's diabetes care business. Taisho Pharmaceutical also has links with the medical sector, but its main business is OTC products, while many of the other companies are foreign-owned and import and sell products through their Japanese subsidiaries.
When procuring equipment, important considerations include the risk of fluctuations in lead times during long-term contracts, confirmation of medical device certifications such as PMDA approval and compliance with JIS standards, the availability of technical support centers in Japan, the long-term stability of consumables supplies, and disclosure of information on alternatives. These factors must be assessed comprehensively to ensure supply stability.
For each use case, portability and ease of operation are prioritized for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), measurement accuracy and hygiene management in hospitals and other facilities, and data-transfer functionality in home healthcare and remote monitoring. Diagnostic applications may require a high degree of accuracy against reference values, and differences in the use environment determine the required specifications.