An unusual on-site investigation by the government of "Nichi-Iko" during a business suspension order

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and others have entered into an on-site investigation on the 24th of Nichi-Iko, a major generic drug company that has received an order to suspend operations from Toyama Prefecture for manufacturing drugs in a process not approved by the government.

It is extremely unusual for the national government to conduct an on-site investigation while orders to suspend operations by local governments continue, and it seems that the aim is to confirm the status of quality control before resuming operations.

At Nichi-Iko's Toyama Daiichi Plant in Namerikawa City, Toyama Prefecture, it was discovered that generic drugs had been manufactured in a process not approved by the government for more than 10 years, and this month Toyama Prefecture issued an order to suspend operations. We put it out and took measures such as suspending the sale of products company-wide for 24 days.

On the morning of the 24th, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare entered into an on-site inspection of the Toyama No. 1 Factory based on the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Law, jointly with Toyama Prefecture, etc., before the disposal was completed from the 29th of this month.

It is extremely unusual for the national government to conduct an on-site investigation while prefectural government orders to suspend operations continue.

In the industry, Kobayashi Kako Co., Ltd. in Fukui Prefecture, which mixed a component of a sleep-inducing agent into a therapeutic drug, just issued an order to suspend operations for 116 days, the longest ever, in the background of the government's investigation this time. Seems to have the aim of thoroughly confirming whether quality control is being carried out properly amid fluctuations in trust in generic drugs.

The investigation is expected to continue until the 25th.

Nichi-Iko "Full cooperation in the survey"

Nichi-Iko responded to NHK's interview by saying, "We apologize to the patients and their family members who have taken the administrative punishment from Toyama Prefecture seriously and have caused a great deal of inconvenience and concern. Will cooperate fully. "