Nippon Kayaku (日本化薬株式会社) (Japan Pharmaceuticals) is a Japanese chemical and pharmaceutical company that was founded in 1916 as the first industrial explosives manufacturer in Japan under the company name Nippon Kayaku Seizo Co., Ltd.. Its main business areas are functional chemicals, pharmaceuticals, safety systems and agrochemicals.[3] The company operates 8 plants and 4 laboratories in Japan.[4] It also has subsidiaries in different countries around the world.[5] It is listed on the Nikkei 225.[6]
History
The company was established in 1916 to produce explosives for the construction sector. The firm then diversified into chemical dyes and pharmaceuticals in the interwar period.
By 1950, Nippon Kayaku had established itself as the ninth leading pharmaceutical firm in Japan. The launch of its anticancer drug, bleomycin, strengthened the firm's pharmaceutical business.