Message from the President
Top Message
Realizing sustainable value enhancement
through future growth investments and
improved capital efficiency.
President, Representative Director
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our shareholders and other stakeholders for their continued support of the Group’s growth.
The Group has worked to enhance its corporate value by contributing to the improvement of people’s health and progress in society as we diligently safeguard our invaluable foundation and continue to uphold the philosophy that extends back to our founding.
The business environment surrounding the pharmaceutical industry is entering an unprecedented era of transformation. To respond to these changes, in 2021, we transitioned to a holding company structure and launched the Mid-Term Management Plan 2025
Performance remained strong in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 (FY2025), the final year of the plan. Business was driven by growth in key products and the expansion of overseas operations, with net sales reaching a record high of ¥71.1 billion. We realized operating profit margin of 8.2% and ROE of 8.0%, thereby achieving all of the numerical targets set forth in the Mid-Term Management Plan 2025.
I believe these achievements reflect both our ability to further leverage our strengths in specialty areas as well as the steady reinforcement of our business foundations.
As for shareholder returns, our basic policy is to continue providing stable dividends while securing investments for sustainable growth. At the same time, we position the attainment of appropriate profit returns in line with earnings as a key management issue and are working to further enhance shareholder returns.
Until FY2025, we adopted a consolidated dividend payout ratio of 30% with our performance-linked profit distribution system. From FY2026 onward, we will use a total payout ratio of 40% as a benchmark and introduce progressive dividends (excluding special dividends).
Based on these policies, we plan to pay annual dividends per share of ¥60 for FY2025 (interim ¥27, year-end ¥33). In addition, for FY2026, we plan annual dividends per share of ¥65 (interim ¥32, year-end ¥33).
Under ASKA VISION 2035, the Group will realize sustainable growth and create value for society. As the next stage toward achieving this long-term vision, we have commenced the Mid-Term Management Plan 2028.
Alongside the steady growth of our existing businesses, we will accelerate initiatives in new growth areas, such as drug discovery and global expansion, with the aim of continuing to provide new value to society.
Going forward, we will continue our efforts to further enhance corporate value and improve shareholder returns.
We appreciate the continued understanding and support of our shareholders.
Sohta Yamaguchi
President, Representative Director
(As of May 21, 2026)
Currently, the Group is implementing growth strategies geared toward realizing our goal of becoming a total healthcare company with a strong foundation as a specialty pharma company. We believe that the Group already has consolidated a significant presence as a specialty pharma company in the domestic market, particularly in the Ob/Gyn field. Looking ahead, we seek to further solidify that presence while also extending our reach beyond Japan to include the global market, beginning with Asia. Toward our goal of becoming a total healthcare company, we also aim to evolve into a company whose scope runs beyond offering pharmaceuticals, also covering prevention, testing and diagnostics, treatment, and prognosis.
In executing our growth strategies, our mission as executives is to maintain sound management while also advancing the Company’s business over the medium to long term. To that end, we must not only strengthen our defenses with a view to securing profits in the near term, but also maintain an aggressive stance toward future business expansion. In the core pharmaceutical business, the key to growth is continuously bringing new drugs to market, as not only are existing drugs affected by annual NHI drug price revisions, but also their sales tend to fall away once they go over their respective patent cliffs,1 as this paves the way for being replaced by generic equivalents. At the same time, though, R&D investment in new drugs is time-consuming and carries with it considerable risk. It can take a decade or more for a drug discovery seed to reach the market, and the probability of doing so is not necessarily high. To ensure that ASKA Pharmaceutical consistently discovers new drugs that address unmet medical needs and parlays this into sustainable growth, it is crucial that each and every employee embraces risk and challenge with a full understanding of this situation. In addition to increasing opportunities for communication with employees, as a management team we are also active in spreading this message.
We appreciate your continued understanding and support of the Group.
Atsushi Maruo
Senior Managing Member of the Board of Directors,
Representative Director
(As of September 30, 2024)