With the well-being of the Filipinos in mind, Otsuka (Philippines) Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OPPI) was established in 1997 under the leadership of Yoshinobu Nishida. It began with a team of 65 employees most of whom were Medical Representatives deployed nationwide. OPPI’s leadership was passed on to the able leadership of Tetsusaburo Hori in 2001, followed by the appointment of Hirofume Inoue in 2002, and in 2007, OPPI welcomed its first Filipino president, Leopoldo Dimerin. In 2016, the helm of OPPI’s leadership was handed over to Ken Saito. In 2023, OPPI welcomed its first female President, Ms. Hisayo Nishihara.

Over the years, OPPI has developed various innovative products for the Philippine local market. Among its early offerings were Cilostazol (Pletaal®), an anti-platelet drug; Procaterol hydrochloride (Meptin®), a potent bronchodilator; and Amino Acids (Aminoleban®), a BCAA-enriched parenteral. These products experienced significant growth despite the economic and political challenges in the late 1990s. In 2003, OPPI launched Rebamipide (Mucosta®), a mucosal protectant, followed by Amino Acids + Vitamin + Minerals (Aminoleban® Oral), a more palatable amino acid nutritional supplement, in 2004. The company introduced its anti-psychotic drug, Aripiprazole (Abilify®), in 2005, and in 2006, it released the cost-effective rapamycin drug-eluting stent, Firebird™. 

In 2007, OPPI expanded into the consumer market with Pocari Sweat, which later spun off to form its own company, Otsuka-Solar Philippines Inc. (OSPI). OPPI continued to grow with the official launch of the Thoracic Stent Graft System (Hercules™), an aortic endovascular stent graft system in 2011. Another significant milestone came in 2014 with the launch of Tolvaptan (Samsca®), indicated for the adjunct treatment of volume overload in heart failure, followed by the Rapamycin Target Eluting Coronary Stent (FIREHAWK™) in 2015.

In 2018, OPPI launched Aripiprazole (Abilify Maintena®), an extended-release injectable for acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia and maintenance monotherapy treatment of bipolar I disorder, and in 2020, it introduced Brexpiprazole (Rexulti®), an adjunctive treatment for adults with major depressive disorder, schizophrenia in adults and pediatric patients ages 13 years and older, and agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

OPPI launched its oncology business in 2021 with the approval of PONATINIB (Iclusig®), a 3rd generation Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) designed for difficult to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), who are resistant to dasatinib; and Busulfan (IV Busulfex®), in combination with cyclophosphamide as a conditioning regimen prior to allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Most recently, in 2023, OPPI launched Tolvaptan (Jinarc®), indicated to slow the progression of cyst development and renal insufficiency of
autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in adults with CKD stage 1 to 4 at the initiation of treatment with evidence of rapidly progressing disease.

OPPI has also expanded its clinical nutrition portfolio with products like Glucose + Amino Acids + Electrolytes + Vitamin B1 (Bfluid®), a formulation to support patients with mild hypoproteinemia or mild malnutrition due to inadequate oral intake, before and after surgery; and Glutamine, Fiber, and Oligosaccharides (GFO®), a powdered drink mix for the dietary management of patients experiencing diarrhea and constipation.

OPPI is inspired by its parent company’s global commitment to the research and development of life-enhancing and life-saving products.

In addition to cutting-edge products, the success of OPPI in providing effective healthcare is also attributed in many ways to the partnership it forges with specialists, general practitioners, and distinguished medical societies. These partnerships are founded on the common goal to continuously improve patient care further strengthened through CME programs aligned with the benefits that Otsuka products offer.

Unstoppable in its commitment to care for the Filipinos, OPPI likewise offers patient care programs that benefit both patients and their families providing them better access to information in disease management.

To OPPI however, success is never just about driving its pharmaceutical and consumer products to recognition, it is also about doing its share in corporate social responsibility, giving back to the community in ways that cannot be qualified.

Otsuka Cares was launched to uplift the Filipino quality of life. Now, in its twentieth year, the successful journey of OPPI continues to make an impact in the field of healthcare.