MHLW lowers Kesunla Intravenous Infusion price to 64,315 yen

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare promulgated Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 389 in the Official Gazette dated November 12, 2026 (Thursday), partially revising the drug prices (Drug Price Standard) of medications used. The revised drug prices will take effect from November 13, 2026, and the price of Kesanza Intravenous Infusion Solution 350 mg (350 mg/20 mL, 1 vial) will be reduced from 66,948 yen to 64,315 yen. The notification was issued under the name of Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Kenichiro Ueno.

Replacement of the Drug Price List Based on the Calculation Method for Medical Fees

This notification is positioned as a revision of the drug prices (Drug Price Standard) for medications used, based on the provisions of the Calculation Method for Medical Fees (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 59 of 2008). The Official Gazette published the drug price list for the injectable drugs section in a comparative format showing before and after the revision, and the unit price for the relevant item was replaced.

Item: Kesanza Intravenous Infusion Solution 350 mg (350 mg/20 mL, 1 vial)
Price before revision: 66,948 yen
Price after revision: 64,315 yen
Difference: Reduction of 2,633 yen (approx. 3.9% decrease)
Effective date: November 13, 2026

Drug prices are the official prices of pharmaceuticals used by medical institutions in insurance-covered medical care, directly affecting both the income from the fee-for-service portion and the patient’s out-of-pocket payment (generally 1–30%).

Addition of Two Biologics to the List of Drugs Eligible for Home Self-Injection

Article 3 of the same notification partially revised the Facility Standards for Specially Listed Medical Fees (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 63 of 2008), adding new preparations to Appended Table 9, “Injectable Drugs Prescribed in the Management Fee for Home Self-Injection Guidance, Intermittent Infusion Syringe Pump Addition, Continuous Glucose Monitor Addition, and Injection Needle Addition for Injectors.”

Newly added: Geflumab preparations
Newly added: Lecanemab preparations
Existing listing: Bepirobilsen sodium preparations

The supplementary provisions state that this notification will apply from November 13, 2026, while the provisions of Article 2 will apply from February 1, 2027.

Simultaneous Promulgation of the Revised Notification on Posting Requirements, etc.

The same day’s Official Gazette also published Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 390. Based on the provisions of the Regulations for Medical Care at Insurance Medical Institutions (Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No. 15 of 1957), the Regulations for Medical Care at Insurance Pharmacies and by Insurance Pharmacists (Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No. 16 of 1957), and the Standards for the Handling and Responsibility of Benefits for Medical Care, etc., based on the Act on Assurance of Medical Care for Elderly People (Ministry of Health and Welfare Notification No. 14 of 1983), this notification partially amends the Items to be Posted as Determined by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Based on the Medical Care Regulations, Pharmacy Care Regulations, and Medical Care Standards (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 107 of 2006), and will also apply from November 13, 2026. The table of contents also lists Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 391, regarding disease/injury names, surgeries, procedures, etc., and definitions of secondary disease names, etc., as being promulgated on the same day.

Furthermore, a notification amending the drug price standards was also promulgated on October 13 as Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 373, indicating a series of revisions within a short period.

Impact on Medical Institution Revenue, Patient Burden, and the Generic Drug Market

While the reduction of drug prices compresses the drug revenue of insurance medical institutions and insurance pharmacies, it works toward reducing the out-of-pocket burden for patients. Since the application begins on November 13, medical institutions already preparing their medical fee claims for November will be forced to switch to the new drug prices for prescriptions issued up until the billing cutoff date. The addition of antibody drugs to the target medications for home self-injection directly leads to an expansion of administration options in home medical care and the outpatient market for biologic drugs.

Source: Official Gazette (Thursday, November 12, 2026), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 389 “Notification to Partially Amend the Drug Prices (Drug Price Standards), etc., Based on the Provisions of the Calculation Method for Medical Fees (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 59 of 2008),” Notification No. 390, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno.