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2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Indonesia, and six decades of collaboration between the two countries in a variety of fields.

Otsuka has also played a part in building strong ties, with the establishment of its first operations in Indonesia dating back to 1974 when it began local distribution of intravenous supplies. Since then, the company has expanded its range to include pharmaceutical and nutritional products, and the group now operates 7 companies with approximately 4,000 employees across the country.

Indonesia’s economic growth has brought with it increased attention towards health. In seeking to provide people with a greater choice of convenient, high-quality nutritional products, Otsuka’s local affiliate, PT. Amerta Indah Otsuka (AIO), has begun the manufacture and sale of two new products.

The first of these is ORONAMIN C DRINK, a carbonated nutritional drink with a long history as a top-selling brand in Japan, where it is popular with young and old alike. At the launch event, AIO President and Director Yoshihiro Bando said, “With the launch of ORONAMIN C DRINK, we aim to offer new health benefits, and bring energy and smiles to people throughout Indonesia. "A new halal-compliant production line has been built at the company’s Sukabumi factory in West Java province, and the product went on sale in June.

The second product launched is the nutritional soy bar SOYJOY, which offers a convenient way to enjoy the benefits of soy. Sales of imported SOYJOY beganin Indonesia in 2007, and with the product having taken off, production has now begun on a new line at AIO’s Kejayan factory, dedicated to meeting local needs. The product went on sale in July of this year.

A ceremony to mark the completion of these factories was held at the Sukabumi plant. In addition to the Regent of Sukabumi and the Deputy Director of the Indonesian FDA, a total of 143 people took part. In his opening remarks, Tatsuo Higuchi, President of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, said “I am very happy to be able to celebrate this completion ceremony this year, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Indonesia. Indonesia can look forward to further economic development, and we hope to continue to contribute to the field of health care here.”

Starting with the sales of POCARISWEAT in 1989, Otsuka in Indonesia since then has focused on creating products to support people’s health and wellbeing, tailored to the culture and customs of Indonesia. With POCARI SWEAT having been widely adopted as a means of hydration in cases of dengue fever, high fever, and diarrhea, it has come to be known as a form of first aid.

In addition, when the company opened its new factory in 2010, it also established a school in the factory grounds as a part of its community activities. Operating as a communal education center, company staff provide tutoring to students living nearby the factory combining the three themes of education, the environment, and health. Its motto is “SATU HATI”, meaning “One Heart”.

Otsuka is committed to continuing to work in collaboration with the local community as it strives to contribute to the further development of the country, and the health of all its people.

See the full story with pictures at:

https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/global-topics/2018/20180901_vol107.html

Held every four years, the Asian Games is Asia’s largest sports event. Hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia, it is also known as the Asian Olympic Games. The 18th Asian Games was held in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August to September, and featured 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions.

This was the second time for Indonesia to host the Games, and the first since 1962.

With a presence in Indonesia since 1974 and having introduced POCARI SWEAT to the country in 1989, Otsuka has a long history of partnerships with the local community.

Having the opportunity to participate in such a major regional event was a highlight for all company employees involved.

Led by staff from Otsuka’s Indonesian subsidiary PT. Amerta Indah Otsuka, the Games provided a welcome opportunity for Otsuka group employees from across Asia to come together as a team to support the athletes.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical has been an official partner of the previous four Games, leveraging its research and development in physical conditioning to help enable athletes to compete at their very best. During the Games, a ‘POCARI SWEAT House’ was set up in the athlete’s village to provide participants with the popular hydration and electrolyte supplement drink, alongside the conditioning product BODYMAINTÉ. POCARI SWEAT was also made readily available at each competition venue.

In collaboration with the Japan Sport Council, Otsuka also established the POCARI SWEAT OASIS, a place where people from across Asia involved in athletic training could come together to exchange ideas, knowledge, and learn from other experts. The program also featured lectures and provided meeting spaces for various national sports organizations, as well as the sharing of the latest information on sports nutrition and conditioning.

The slogan of the Games was “Energy of Asia,” and it truly was a Games that demonstrated the vitality of the region.

Otsuka is committed to continuing to contribute to the growth and development of Asia through the development of scientifically-based products, the sharing of research findings, and participation in events such as the Asian Games.

See the full story with pictures at:

https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/global-topics/2018/20180519_vol106.html

Otsuka Pharmaceutical launched “Deliciously Illustrated SketchCook - A Nutritious Experiment with Google” dietary education app, which emphasizes the importance of nutritionally balanced meals.

SketchCook uses the latest AI technology to transform illustrations of meals drawn by children into digital images, and then suggests nutritionally balanced recipes and, based on guidance from certified nutritionists, food combinations that then provide a well-balanced meal.

Otsuka has long been actively involved in dietary education, conducting a study in 2011 on the relationship between breakfast quality and brain function. This demonstrated that optimal brain activity requires not simply an adequate intake of sugar, but also nutritionally balanced meals. Since then, Otsuka has been conveying to students who want to study more efficiently the importance of breakfast and nutritionally balanced meals.

Focusing on the next generation of young children on whose shoulders Japan’s future will one day rest, Otsuka developed the idea for an educational app that teaches children about meals and nutrition, while creating opportunities for communication between parents and children. This idea was then realized thanks to Google's machine learning technology and recipe data provided by Rakuten Recipe.It allows children to have fun learning about meals and nutrition through drawing pictures.

Otsuka received some very positive feedback from users who participated in the SketchCook launch event held in May, including, “My child immediately started helping me with the cooking!” and “We went shopping and made dinner together.”

In the future, Otsuka’s hope is to take SketchCook beyond the home and, in cooperation with local authorities across Japan, spread the word to the next generation of children about the importance of meals and nutrition.

SketchCook can be downloaded from the links below. (Japanese only):

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id1382197965?mt=8 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.otsuka.SketchCook&hl=ja

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https://www.otsuka.co.jp/company/global-topics/2018/20180426_vol105.html

Dr. William H. Carson, president and chief executive officer of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization in the U.S., was lauded as one of 2018’s Top Blacks in Healthcare honorees selected by BlackDoctor.org at their 5th annual gala on April 26, 2018.

The event, presented by BlackDoctor.org in conjunction with The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, recognizes distinguished African American healthcare professionals for their hard work, commitment and success in helping improve healthcare for all Americans.

During the two-day event, Dr. Carson was the keynote speaker at the awards gala dinner and also participated as a panelist. The always congenial Dr. Carson talked about his childhood and how his upbringing shaped his lifelong curiosity, epitomized in the one-word question he often asks himself and those around him:  “Why?”

Dr. Carson also spoke about the explosive increase in health-related data and the implications for patients and healthcare practitioners alike. For example, he noted that in clinical trials for the first-ever Digital Medicine created by Otsuka and Proteus, more data, including minute-by-minute data points, were collected than in all the previous clinical trials ever conducted by Otsuka. For him, one implication is that physicians will not just know a lot about medicine but will come to know a lot more about their patients individually, ushering in the age of truly personalized medicine.

Dr. Carson’s call to action for healthcare professionals in this new era is to be caring (ensuring patient access to their data), concerned (preventing data misuse) and competent (staying up to date on, and utilizing the digitally based technology and knowledge from data).

See the full story with pictures at:

https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/global-topics/2018/20180605_vol104.html

Daiya Foods was founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2008 with a simple belief that plant-based living was better for people’s health, better for the planet and better for animal welfare.

It all started with the founders, Greg Blake and Andre Kroecher, trying to make plant-based cheese at home in the kitchen with a blender and a pot on the stove. Their perseverance paid off and Daiya Cheddar Style & Mozzarella Style Shreds debuted in 2009 at the Natural Products Expo West. Consumers raved and plant-based dairy innovation changed forever.

Today, Daiya is best known for its delicious plant-based cheese alternatives that melt and stretch like dairy-based cheese. 
Daiya understands the social needs and craveability of these foods. Every Daiya product is plant-based, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, offering options for those with allergies or are looking to make small changes towards a plant-based diet.

Over the years, Daiya has expanded its line of craveable foods to meet a growing global demand for plant-based alternatives. They now offer products across multiple categories for every eating occasion at more than 25,000 stores in North America.

See the full story with pictures at: https://www.otsuka.co.jp/company/global-topics/

Daiya’s line of premium plant-based foods include Burritos, Frozen Dessert Bars, Coconut Yogurt Alternatives, Pizzas, Cheezecakes, Cream Cheeze Style Spreads, Dressings, Cheezy Mac, Cheeze Sauce & wonderful cheese alternatives including Blocks, Shreds, Slices and Cheeze Sticks.

Daiya is innovative, compassionate and they love food. And they feel like they are just getting started!

Now with a much larger team and passionate management, their dairy-alternative innovation accelerates as marked by their recent announcement of the highly anticipated launch of its signature products in the United Kingdom, following international success in Australia, Sweden, Mexico, Hong Kong, and more.

Otsuka welcomed the addition of Daiya to its group of companies in 2017, hoping for a passionate synergy in commitment to people’s healthier everyday all across the globe. Terry Tierney, Daiya CEO anticipates “Daiya has always had the vision of building a leading global plant-based food brand. We are excited to partner with Otsuka to help realize this vision.”

See the full story with pictures at:

https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/global-topics/2018/20180605_vol104.html

Bill Brazell was ecstatic on April 24 upon reading a decision he has long advocated for and awaited: U.S. regulatory approval of Otsuka’s tolvaptan for use in slowing the progression of ADPKD (autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease) in patients at risk of rapid progression. ADPKD is a progressive, inherited condition in which cysts proliferate in the kidneys, often leading to kidney failure.  

Having lost numerous relatives to ADPKD, and some years after being diagnosed himself, Bill realized that remaining quiet about his condition was of no help to anyone. And so he began to do everything in his power to advance awareness of ADPKD as well as the search for a first treatment and an eventual cure.

Bill’s awareness-raising has included contacting legislators, appearing on national TV and even wearing a kidney costume in the park to raise research funds for the PKD Foundation, where Bill has volunteered as a board member for nine years.

To support the advance toward an ADPKD treatment, Bill participated for over 12 years in the clinical trials for tolvaptan, which culminated in the U.S. regulatory approval on April 24. He notes, “Even the possibility of a treatment changed my life and during the trial I and the woman I love decided to marry. We now have three wonderful children, and I do worry about them, but the news of the tolvaptan approval for ADPKD provides me and my family with tremendous hope.”