According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan is nearing approval for a pair of highly anticipated gene therapies, but a debate over health care costs seems sure to follow amid the anticipated growth of such expensive treatments.
Experts in the health ministry issued preliminary approvals Wednesday for Collategene, a regenerative treatment for damaged arteries, as well as the anti-leukemia therapy Kymriah. The candidates next move to a formal certification, with drug prices to be set in May at the earliest.
AnGes, the Osaka-based developer that has worked on Collategene since its founding in 1999, would become the first Japanese company to receive approval for a treatment that regenerates blood vessels.
Collategene treats critical limb ischemia, which entails the severe blockage of arteries in the feet or legs. An estimated 150,000 Japanese annually are afflicted with this disease, which affects many diabetes patients and can lead to amputation. With Collategene, DNA injected into the patient forms new blood vessels to improve circulation.
Kymriah is a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy developed by Swiss drugmaker Novartis. The immune-related T cells are removed from a patient, genetically modified to target cancer cells, then reintroduced to the body. The treatment was found to be effective in about 80% of young leukemia patients.
The global gene therapy market will reach $15 billion in 2024, British research firm Evaluate forecasts, amounting to 1% of the entire pharmaceutical market. So far, only about 10 gene therapy products have been approved worldwide.
But gene therapy is anticipated to grow 100% annually, with the U.S. expected to approve 10 new products yearly. Japan likely will approve more than one product each year. Governments worldwide are streamlining the approval process. Though novel drugs typically take 15 years before they are available for sale, this period would be truncated to just a few years for gene therapy.
Collategene and Kymriah are expected to qualify for coverage under Japan's national health insurance system. But like other revolutionary treatments, both will fetch exorbitant price tags.
In the U.S., Novartis has set a price of $475,000 for the one-time infusion of Kymriah, and the price in Japan likely will approach that sum. Collategene therapy will cost $18,000 to $27,000 per patient, multiple sources say.
The blockbuster cancer treatment Opdivo would cost the Japanese government 1.75 trillion yen ($15.8 billion at current rates) if used to treat 50,000 people in a year, according to a 2016 estimate. That figure prompted lawmakers to modify the drug pricing system, which resulted in Opdivo costing less than half as much as the original price tag.
But a rush of novel, expensive biopharmaceuticals could spark a more drastic overhaul of Japan's public health insurance system, including the general provision of covering all newly approved pharmaceutical products. For example, Britain rejected public coverage for cancer treatment Yescarta in August due to its expense. Japan likely will debate whether a public health system is rendered meaningless if certain drugs become out of reach for those of lower income.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Science/Japan-approves-2-gene-treatments-in-bid-to-catch-up

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1606991

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan will let delivery robots be tested on public streets starting in fiscal 2019.
The government will compile safety guidelines by March, paving the way for companies to put their latest devices through their paces.
Delivery robots are expected to draw keen interest from badly shorthanded logistics companies needing help in the last mile of delivery -- the difficult final stage of getting a parcel from a nearby distribution hub to its destination -- and from tourists who do not want to drag luggage around.
The mail-handling arm of Japan Post Holdings has tested robots at facilities like public housing complexes and driving schools in Fukushima Prefecture in recent months. Yamato Holdings began trying out unmanned vehicles last year for deliveries in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.
Testing robots on Japanese public roads currently requires permission from local police chiefs, but a lack of safety rules governing delivery robots leaves the police with no standards on which to base a decision. Running tests can be difficult without such drastic steps as closing streets to general traffic.
The government will lay out safety measures for testing robots that follow human guidance. Would-be testers will generally receive permission if they take the needed safety steps in line with the government's rules and apply for regulatory breaks for up-and-coming businesses. This framework is set to be included in a new growth strategy due out this summer.
Japan's Road Traffic Act is currently interpreted to treat robots as automobiles that can therefore only run on roadways. The government hopes that testing will reveal areas where legislation would need adjusting to unlock the potential benefits to delivery and tourism services.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-greenlights-delivery-robots-for-public-road-tests

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1392668

According to The Asahi Shimbun, there's currently no standard test that people need to pass to teach Japanese in Japan, but one is coming soon.
In anticipation of an influx of more foreign workers to the country from April, when a revised labor law goes into effect, the Agency for Cultural Affairs council subcommittee said it will create a standard test to certify Japanese language teachers.
The council subcommittee of the advisory body of the education minister on Feb. 21 announced the move in response to calls to improve language education for non-Japanese people.
Without a standard, it was pointed out, students are left without a reliable method of measuring the quality of the Japanese instruction they receive.
The council said it has come up with a basic framework on certifying professional Japanese language teachers. Under the compiled policy, those who wish to get certified must pass an examination judging their ability to teach Japanese, and then take a teaching practice course in the field.
Further details, including whether the certification will be a government-designated one, will be worked out within fiscal 2019.
Uncertified teachers will still be allowed to teach Japanese. But those with certification will have proof of their ability, which could be beneficial for those who work at Japanese language schools, serve as instructors at companies or teach children at schools.
The Justice Ministry has already set up requirements for Japanese language teachers to work at schools for foreign students licensed by the ministry.
They include completing a course in teaching Japanese at a college or taking 420 lessons on how to teach it at a private institution.
The council is considering exempting those who have already fulfilled those requirements from having to take a portion of the exam.
If a test-taker has done a teaching demonstration in the field as part of a course, it will also likely count toward certification.
The council said it is thinking of using the existing Japanese language teaching competency test, operated by Japan Educational Exchanges and Service, a public foundation, as the examination for the new certification.
Currently, people must pass it to be qualified as a teacher at a Justice Ministry-licensed Japanese language school.
The council will discuss from now how people who have already been working as Japanese language teachers will obtain the certification; if a university bachelor’s degree is necessary; and if the certification needs to be renewed.
About 39,000 people were teaching Japanese in Japan in fiscal 2017, according to a survey by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Of these, 9,000 were working at more than 700 Justice Ministry-licensed Japanese language schools across the country. The rest were teaching at Japanese language schools or classes run by municipal governments or private firms, or were community volunteers.
The level of teaching ability required by the different institutions varied widely among the teachers in accordance with the students' needs.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201902220060.html

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/7405378
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According to The Australian Financial Review, Simonds Group which said half-year operating profit more than doubled in the six months to December, is looking to expand into new areas of construction such as the emerging market niche of specialist disability accommodation.
The embattled home builder, which said half-year EBITDA earnings jumped to $12.4 million from $5.2 million a year earlier and sites starts rose 10.7 per cent to 1320, was now looking to make the most of new opportunities as a turnaround program started to take effect, chief executive Kelvin Ryan said.
"We're talking to serious players about how we might access the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) and start with specialist disability housing. There are other avenues to building homes that traditional residential builders haven't explored."
The road to recovery has been slow for Simonds, which has lost 84 per cent of its share value, launched a failed bid to privatise the company again and had three different chief executives since it listed publicly in late 2014. Former BGC Residential boss Mr Ryan, whose appointment followed those of Matthew Chun and Paul McMahon, took the job last February.


https://www.afr.com/real-estate/simonds-profit-jumps-eyes-move-into-ndis-disability-accommodation-20190220-h1bikh

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/3018310
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According to The Australian Financial Review, companies must be more specific about the unique nature of research and development activity they are conducting and improve their records of time spent on R&D tasks to avoid being forced to repay what could amount to millions of dollars in tax incentives, according to new government guidelines to be released recently.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the new guidelines would provide Australian businesses with more confidence in claiming support for software activities. The move follows criticism from members of the growing tech start-up industry after the government reclaimed previously paid incentives, including from online jobs marketplace Airtasker.

https://www.afr.com/technology/government-releases-new-rd-guidelines-for-confused-tech-firms-20190220-h1bi04

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/9503621

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, genetic material for wagyu beef, a Japanese delicacy and key export, was almost smuggled overseas in a recent incident, a close call that has spurred Japan to guard its cattle and their reproductive cells more tightly to keep copycats from breeding them.
Tokyo is alerting customs authorities and airline officials to keep precious wagyu genes from leaving the country, wary of a major blow to its livestock industry.
Last July, a man from Osaka Prefecture carrying more than 100 samples of wagyu zygotes and sperm in specialized containers apparently evaded quarantine inspections and boarded a ferry to Shanghai, according to Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Upon arrival in China, he was stopped by customs and returned to Japan, where he voluntarily turned himself in at a quarantine station, telling officials he was "asked by an acquaintance" to deliver the materials and "didn't know it was illegal" to do so.
Japanese law on controlling infectious diseases among domestic animals requires that animals, as well as their products such as meat and eggs, undergo quarantine inspections before being taken abroad, with violations punishable by up to three years in prison or a maximum of 1 million yen (US$ 9,000) in fines. Exporting wagyu zygotes and sperm is forbidden regardless of whether they have been inspected.
Prefectural police are investigating the matter, after receiving a criminal complaint last month from the agriculture ministry under the infectious disease law -- apparently the first such complaint concerning an attempt to transport zygotes and the like out of the country.
"If wagyu were to be produced abroad and insufficiently regulated beef entered the market, it would hurt our brand value," said a cattle farmer from Hyogo Prefecture who raises Tajima cows, a breed of black wagyu cattle.
Most wagyu breeding is carried out through artificial insemination, as a cow's pedigree figures heavily into the quality of beef. Zygotes and other genetic resources are sold to cattle farmers under the regulation of municipalities and private business operators, and some municipalities place restrictions on carrying the materials out of the area where they were produced.
If a wagyu zygote were implanted into a different breed of heifer overseas, the resulting calf would bear the same wagyu genes, according to an Osaka Prefecture livestock industry group.
"We wouldn't be able to stop the production" of wagyu-like products if the crossbreeding process continued elsewhere, an association representative said.
The agriculture ministry is launching its first-ever inspection into the state of oversight and sales routes for genetic resources at roughly 1,600 facilities managing them. It is also asking transport providers to keep an eye on travelers carrying storage containers at airports and harbors. Customs authorities under the Ministry of Finance have called on customs houses throughout the country to take thorough precautions at border sites.
Japan's wagyu cattle represent "the fruit of many years of selective breeding by livestock farmers" and are "a vital piece of Japanese intellectual property," said Tamako Matsuhashi, a lecturer at Kindai University specializing in animal husbandry. "We need a seamless system of checks, covering everything from production sites to distribution, to prevent genetic resources from leaking."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-Trends/Pirates-target-prized-wagyu-beef-genes

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/6972674 

Sharon and Gus Keech are making the most of falling property prices, low clearance rates and sparsely attended open house days by taking their time buying a new home closer to Sydney.
The parents of Lachie, 14, and Mia, 11, want to replace their six-bedroom Bayview home, which is about 34 kilometres north of Sydney, for a location about 25 kilometres closer, probably around Mosman.
"We don't plan to compromise too much on the house to improve the amenity - by being closer to Sydney and still having blue [ocean] views," Ms Keech said.
The couple, who run Touchpoint Global, an IT company specialising in airline logistics, believe the cooling Sydney property market has made finding the right property cheaper, less competitive and easier to negotiate the right price.

https://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/property-downturn-has-upside-for-home-buyers-wanting-more-for-less-20190215-h1baw2
 
If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/9979796

According to The Australian Financial Review, oil major Shell is launching itself into the fast-growing household battery market and will for the first time start selling energy products directly to Australian consumers through the acquisition of Germany's Sonnen.
​The takeover, announced in London recently, represents another significant stride by Shell into the consumer energy market, following on from its acquisition of UK-based household energy and broadband provider First Utility 12 months ago.
It comes just days after Shell's head in Australia, Zoe Yujnovich, confirmed the energy giant's ambitions to extend its New Energies business into the domestic market, including developing a 120-megawatt solar project in Queensland, building on its alliance with Sonnen and potentially entering the retail electricity and gas market longer-term.

https://www.afr.com/technology/shell-enters-home-battery-market-with-sonnen-acquisition-20190215-h1bb9p

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/6429042 

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan Airlines is looking to turn used clothing into jet fuel, with plans to put the alternative energy source to the test as early as 2020.
The airline will join Japan Environment Planning, also known as Jeplan, and the Tokyo-based Green Earth Institute to set up a collaborative council for the project as soon as early 2017. Jeplan already works with 12 retailers, including Aeon and Muji operator Ryohin Keikaku, to collect used clothing at 1,000 or so stores around Japan and recycle the polyester it contains. This next project will take cotton from the clothing and turn it into fuel with help from GEI.
GEI was founded to put biofuel technologies developed by the government-backed Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth to practical use. These technologies include a method of using microorganisms to process sugars contained in cotton into alcohols, which in turn can be made into fuel.
The plan is to build an experimental fuel plant at a Jeplan factory and begin test flights using a blend of conventional and cotton-derived fuel in 2020. Commercial production should be up and running by 2030.
One hundred tons of cotton yields just 10 kiloliters of fuel. Even if all the cotton consumed annually in Japan were used in fuel production, this would give only 70,000kl or so -- less than 1% of Japan's yearly jet fuel usage. But GEI's technology can also be used to process waste from paper mills and other facilities. The company sees clothing as just the beginning of a broad waste-conversion effort.
Making fuel from organic sources such as cotton still releases carbon dioxide, for example at the refining stage. But emissions are estimated to be less than half those from fossil fuel production. Replacing conventional jet fuel with biofuel, even in part, would help shrink emissions associated with air travel as global efforts to combat climate change gather speed.
Japan Airlines is also at work on other efforts to turn urban waste, such as garbage, into fuel. The aim is to create a stable supply of alternative fuels with prices rivalling those of petroleum products.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/JAL-aims-to-give-old-clothes-new-life-as-jet-fuel

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​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-129704055 
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According to The Australian Financial Review, a national fast-charging network for electric cars should be built in the next five years, Infrastructure Australia has declared as it outlined its top priorities for 2019.
Lack of access to charging stations is a key barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles, with Australia still having less than 800 stations nationally - only 70 of which are considered "fast charging." The fastest charging stations under development in Australia could give cars enough power to travel 400 kilometres in 15 minutes.
It is the first time an electric vehicle charging network has been named as a "high priority initiative" by Infrastructure Australia, the federal statutory body, which on Thursday releases its biggest and most diverse annual list of project recommendations to date, naming 121 projects and proposals worth $58 billion.
Although some states have been developing regional charging networks, such as Queensland's electric super highway, there is no national network.

https://www.afr.com/business/national-electric-car-network-should-be-a-top-priority-says-infrastructure-australia-20190213-h1b74y

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-infrastructure-australia
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