What We Do

Our research facilities and collaborations around the world exist to serve the complex, underserved medical needs of patients and caregivers. Our mission—creating new products for better health worldwide—is at the center of everything we do.

Our Pipeline

Otsuka companies' investigational programs:

CNS

  Development Status
  Phase
Compound Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Filed
Brexpiprazole*
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
       
Centanafadine
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
       
Centanafadine
Major depressive disorder (MDD)
       
OPC-214870
Epilepsy
       
OPC-224333
Epilepsy
       
SEP-363856
(ulotaront)
Schizophrenia
       
SEP-363856
(ulotaront)
Adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder (aMDD)
       
SEP-363856
(ulotaront)
Generalized anxiety disorder
       
SEP-380135
TBD
       

Nephrology, Immunology & Metabolism

  Development Status
  Phase
Compound Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Filed
Tolvaptan
Pediatric autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD)
       
Sibeprenlimab§
Immunoglobulin A nephropathy
       
VIS171§
Immune-mediated diseases
       
JNT-517II
Phenylketonuria
       

Other Areas

  Development Status
  Phase
Compound Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Filed
QuabodepistatIII
Pulmonary tuberculosis
       
OPC-131461
TBD
       
VIS954§
TBD
       

*Part of Otsuka/Lundbeck alliance.

§Developed by Otsuka and Visterra, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

IIDeveloped by Jnana Therapeutics a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

III Supported by a grant from the Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation.

Our Focus

Our mission comes to life through 2 important categories.

Neuroscience

Otsuka’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for mental health disorders started more than 30 years ago. Our research in neuroscience maintains its focus on potential treatments for adults with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, and other neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, including Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, and autism. We seek to address the unmet medical needs of all those we serve as we explore our focus on anxiety disorders, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy Body dementia, Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among other conditions. Each central nervous system (CNS) disorder has its own set of treatment challenges and gaps in patient care, and we seek to address these challenges with each clinical and research milestone.

It took 20 years of perseverance, creativity, and innovation by our scientists to defy limitation and develop treatments for those living with CNS disorders, giving them additional medication options. At Otsuka, we respect the value within every mind. That's why our clinical development in this therapeutic area continues to address the gaps in mental health treatments by exploring the cutting edge of psychiatrics, so those affected by CNS disorders can have more options to meet their needs.

Nephrology

Otsuka’s enduring perseverance to advancing treatments for individuals living with kidney disease has lead to breakthroughs that significantly reshape treatment landscapes and pave the way for further innovation. The approval of a treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) was the result of decades of research and commitment and provides a first-in-class treatment option for ADPKD. We uphold our commitment to addressing the unmet medical needs within this space.

We are extending our legacy through ongoing investments in nephrology and in new areas. With changes in the measurement of outcomes that may impact disease progression, medical breakthroughs are on the horizon. With Visterra joining the Otsuka corporate family in 2018 and in collaborating with other like-minded companies that share our values, we are dedicated to enhancing our commitment in nephrology and addressing other critical areas with unmet needs.

Alongside drug development, we have devoted years to advocating for patients through programs and institutions focused on kidney disease. This steadfast commitment to patients, researchers, and healthcare professionals has fortified Otsuka’s expertise in advocacy. We remain steadfast in our mission to serve our patients and clinicians every day, so they can achieve even more than they thought was possible.

Our History

2002

FDA approves ABILIFY® (aripiprazole)

2009

FDA approves SAMSCA® (tolvaptan)

2013

FDA approves ABILIFY MAINTENA® (aripiprazole)

2015

FDA approves REXULTI® (brexpiprazole)

2017

FDA approves ABILIFY MYCITE® (aripiprazole tablets with sensor) 
Not commercially available

2018

FDA approves JYNARQUE® (tolvaptan)

2023

FDA approves ABILIFY ASIMTUFII® (aripiprazole) for
extended release injectable suspension

Grow With Us

For over 100 years, a group of vibrant individuals we call Otsuka-people have shared the mission of creating new products for better health worldwide. We live by our purpose: to defy limitation, so that others can too.

Current Openings

Awards

Fortune Best Workplaces in BioPharma™ 2024

Fortune Best Workplaces in BioPharma™ 2024

NAMI's StigmaFree Company 2024

NAMI's StigmaFree Company 2024

2024 Best Place to Work for disability inclusion by Disability Equality Index® (DEI)

2024 Best Place to Work for disability inclusion by Disability Equality Index® (DEI)

Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials™ 2024

Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials™ 2024

Fortune Best Workplaces in New York™ 2024

Fortune Best Workplaces in New York™ 2024

GPTW_2024_Certification_Badge

Great Place To Work® Certified

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package invests in each employee’s health, well-being, financial future, and educational development.

Health

Medical, dental, vision, and
prescription coverage

Access to telehealth 24 hours/day

Health advocacy services

Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment benefits

Short- and long-term disability benefits

Well-being

Comprehensive wellness offerings,
including a fitness reimbursement
program and nutrition resources

Legal and identity protection plan

A generous Flexible Time Off policy and holiday schedule

Hybrid Working Policy

Mental Health

16 therapy sessions per year, mental
health coaching, and digital tools

Legal, financial, and insurance-related
services to help cope with challenges

Mental health and substance abuse
services

Support for locating in-network
behavioral health practitioners

Trained mental health professionals to
help find the right treatment programs

Practical and emotional support for
caregivers in collaboration with
Ianacare

Family

Parental, adoption, surrogacy and
family caregiver leave programs

Caregiver Benefit

Range of medical plan options offering flexibility to meet each family's needs

Financial

Best-in-class 401(k) retirement
savings plan, providing a matching contribution of up to 10 percent of
base salary

Personalized financial counseling, to help with tax planning strategies, education funding, purchasing a home, and estate planning

Education

Industry-leading tuition
reimbursement program and student
loan assistance

Year-round development offerings
and workshops

Opportunities for new challenges via
internal mobility

Industry expert keynote speaker sessions

Monthly career and development eNewsletters

Work anniversary and achievement awards

Our Commitment To Development

Otsuka-people are forever learning, growing and reinventing themselves. Otsuka is committed to helping all employees on our collective journey to discover,
develop and achieve our purpose and aspirations. Otsuka offers employees a comprehensive suite of learning and development experiences to help hone areas
where employees and teams aim to achieve professional growth.

ReadyNow Development Program

Ready to launch your career in the pharmaceutical industry? Otsuka’s unique 18-month ReadyNow program offers driven individuals an immersive start into the industry. With four dynamic career tracks—Health Science Advisor (Sales), Patient Experience Liaison, Medical Science Liaison, and Home Office Personnel—ReadyNow provides a path to success for all experience levels. From day one, you’ll be supported by the ReadyNow leadership team and field experts. With assignments across the country and our home offices, you’ll have the chance to explore new regions, develop flexibility, and broaden your understanding of healthcare across diverse communities. ReadyNow is your launchpad for a rewarding career in pharma. Are you ReadyNow? Learn more readynowinfo@otsuka-us.com.

Our Sales Development Program

Intern The Otsuka Way (INTOW)

Otsuka’s internship program, Intern the Otsuka Way (InTOW), offers students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and develop critical skills while contributing to meaningful projects. Over the course of 11-12 weeks in the summer, interns will work alongside experienced professionals, learn about the complexities of the pharmaceutical industry, and gain insights into potential career paths.

In addition to working on practical initiatives, our internship program also includes professional development workshops, employee led trainings, engagement opportunities with Otsuka leadership, and impactful give-back activities. Are you ready to discover your potential? Click here to view our current opportunities.

Intern The Otsuka Way (INTOW)

Some Of Our Specialist
Areas Include:

Business

Commercial strategy

Digital medicine

Finance and
administration

Information technology

Marketing &
communications

Market access

Medical communications

Sales

Project management

Technical operations

Regulatory

Ethics and compliance

Government affairs

Legal affairs

Regulatory affairs

Clinical & Research

Biometrics

Biostatistics

Clinical development

Clinical outsourcing

Clinical pharmacology

Clinical programming

Clinical safety
and pharmacovigilance

Drug discovery 

Medical affairs

Our Unique Culture

There are 2 core principles, based on our Japanese heritage, by which all Otsuka-people have lived for nearly a century. Today, they continue to serve as the foundation of our culture, embodying who we are and how we will achieve our goals.

jissho

(JIS-SHOH) Actualization

Achievement, completion, and the discovery of truth

Otsuka-people are encouraged to push themselves far beyond expectations. To dream the impossible and make it a reality. By living the principles of jissho, individuals and teams can achieve unprecedented outcomes that ultimately lead to greater responsibility.

sozosei

(SOH-ZOH-SAY) Creativity

Pursuing what only Otsuka is capable of conceiving and achieving

Sozosei gives Otsuka-people permission to do what's never been done and can only be done by Otsuka. Every day is a new chance to invent and to create so that we can provide answers to medical needs that have yet to be addressed.

Who We Are

Curious

We live to learn and discover. That’s why we never stop asking questions: Why? How? What if? Our inquisitive nature keeps us searching for the right answers, not just the obvious ones.

Courageous

We dare to do what others will not. We know it is the only way we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. We will face adversity, but we will not let it keep us from doing what’s right.

Distinctive

We are authentic and stay true to ourselves, without artifice or urge to imitate. We commit ourselves to the development of products and services that only Otsuka could conceive and make a reality.

What We Believe In

Perseverance

We persist to do what’s right and what matters.

Unconventional thinking

We live to create and discover a better way.

Humility

We unite to serve the needs of others before our own.

Our Purpose

Watch this video to see how Otsuka's purpose comes to life.

News & Media

Learn more about the latest happenings at Otsuka. Select to see US news or read our press releases. You can also stay up to date with our global news in the link below.

Image

Media Contact:

Robert Murphy

Senior Director, External Communications,
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc

Phone:
Email:
robert.murphy@otsuka-us.com

Featured News

All news

Showing:

Working Together

At Otsuka, our dedication to patients, families, and providers drives us to uncover answers to complex, underserved medical needs. We seek to defy limitation and are working to tackle the status quo in the industry and beyond to serve those who need us most. Collaborations are an essential part of this commitment, and we seek to work with companies whose values, commitment, and compassion align with our own.

Photo of business people seated around a conference table with laptops opened.

Our Purpose

Otsuka Business Development: Better health worldwide through external innovation and strategic collaborations.

Why Otsuka?

Otsuka is committed to collaborating with innovators to tackle the unique needs of patients, providers, and caregivers. Our team shares in our collaborators' passion and will dedicate ourselves to understanding their aspirations and desired outcomes.

Our team

When working together in alliances or as affiliates, our Global Business Development team strives to create a culture of empathy that is rooted in our dedication to the areas of focus. Our business development team brings notable experience within the US and abroad, allowing us to build relationships founded on expertise and common goals. They provide the tools and leadership to enable each relationship to reach its maximum value and potential, and are committed to:

Otsuka Holdings Business Development

Trust

Develop relationships with collaborators that are built on trust.

Growth

Realize and maximize the spirit and intent of each unique collaboration.

Action

Use a proven, disciplined approach to ensure that collaborations balance rigor and flexibility to support timely decision-making, early detection and mitigation of risk, and effective conflict resolution.

Our Process

We consistently strive to enhance our capabilities and elevate how we might improve patient health. We seek innovations with organizations that allow us to amplify what we all are working toward. Our process involves 3 primary steps:

1

Our Process

We conduct an initial evaluation of any provided non-confidential and public information.

2

Our Process

A joint team from Otsuka and your organization examines confidential information in more detail.

3

Our Process

We lead due diligence efforts and negotiations of deal terms.

Let’s explore how we can work together to improve the lives of patients.

What We Are Seeking

In the US, we focus on specific areas with high unmet need where our expertise may allow us to improve health outcomes.

Therapeutic Areas of Interest

Therapeutic Areas of Interest

Therapeutic Areas of Interest

Therapeutic Areas of Interest

Alliances

lundbeck-logo@3x

Lundbeck

Many pharmaceutical companies have experienced challenges when ushering in new central nervous system (CNS) treatments. The Otsuka and Lundbeck global alliance agreement was born in 2011 out of this challenge. Both companies have a shared focus on helping patients with mental health disorders. Lundbeck has a long heritage of innovation in neuroscience, and Otsuka has been focusing research and development efforts on CNS for decades. Through this alliance, Otsuka and Lundbeck have taken an unconventional approach to develop and commercialize 5 psychiatric and neurologic therapies worldwide thus far. Together we are creating a positive impact to help improve the lives of people living with CNS disorders. 

click-logo@3x

Click Therapeutics

With Otsuka’s focus on digital innovation and unconventional thinking, our alliance with Click Therapeutics is a natural step toward developing solutions for patients that go beyond medication. We are working on developing and commercializing a prescription digital therapeutic for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). This alliance combines Click Therapeutics’ specialization in discovering, validating, and deploying software applications with Otsuka’s commitment and expertise in researching, developing, and commercializing treatments for mental illness. Together, we are breaking down barriers and have the potential to transform mental healthcare.

Affiliates

visterra-logo@3x

Visterra

Otsuka acquired Visterra in 2018 to continue developing solutions for unmet needs in nephrology. Visterra is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is committed to developing innovative antibody-based therapies for patients with kidney diseases and other hard-to-treat conditions. The Visterra pipeline includes programs targeting immunoglobulin A nephropathy and kidney diseases, as well as cancer, chronic pain, and infectious diseases. The extensive overlap in therapeutic focus between our 2 companies, along with a shared culture of creativity and commitment to patients, enables us to tackle the most difficult treatment challenges.

McQuade Center for Strategic Research & Development (MSRD)

McQuade Center for Strategic Research & Development (MSRD)

The McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development (MSRD) is a US limited-liability company that was started to identify and fund innovative early-stage research and development programs. These programs are the building blocks for future Otsuka products. MSRD is named for Robert McQuade, PhD.

Who We Are

At our core is perseverance–a fierce determination to overcome any obstacle, regardless of setbacks, on behalf of patients, caregivers, and their loved ones. We will not be bound by doing what’s been done before. Instead, we free ourselves from preconceived notions to discover solutions that advance patient care. Our mission is clear. Otsuka-people: creating new products for better health worldwide.

Our Focus

Neuroscience

Our driving philosophy at Otsuka is to serve those with unmet medical needs, and that couldn’t be more true than in our dedication to the central nervous system (CNS) space. In our 30 years of experience working in this therapeutic area, we continue to innovate and defy limitation by taking risks to overcome the complexities of treating mental health. We respect the value within every mind and are committed to making a difference in the lives of patients living with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and other CNS conditions.

Nephrology

Recognizing a critical gap in clinical expertise and research within nephrology, Otsuka took the initiative to pioneer advancements. For decades, we have dedicated ourselves to driving innovation in this field and in others with significant unmet needs. Our commitment remains steadfast in developing groundbreaking therapeutics in nephrology and other areas, revolutionizing treatment possibilities. Through Otsuka’s commitment to enduring perseverance, we have achieved significant breakthroughs, offering renewed hope to patients and expanding treatment options for clinicians, and we will continue to do so.

Our Legacy

1921

Busaburo Otsuka founded Otsuka in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, with an unconventional idea and the belief that anything is possible. Otsuka has been on a journey of creativity and innovation ever since.

1985

The first Otsuka US research and development base was established in Rockville, Maryland. Just a few years later, in 1989, Otsuka’s first US commercial organization was created, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc (OAPI).

2002

Otsuka’s second US location, in Princeton, New Jersey, was opened. We continued our evolution, and in 2007 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc (OPDC), was created to oversee all commercial pharmaceutical and medical device activities in the United States.

2020

Today the two companies, OAPI and OPDC, are part of one family—the Otsuka Holdings Co, Ltd, that has over 180 companies, with more than 45,000 employees in 28 countries around the world.

Discover our latest milestones and future plans in the 2023-2024 Economic and Health Impact Report.

Our Family of Companies

Our family of companies is committed to offering innovative products that go beyond healthcare to improve the health and well-being of patients. Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc (OAPI) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc (OPDC) belong to a distinguished family of US affiliates.