Singapore: Japanese drug giant Towa Pharmaceuticals makes foray into the US markets banking on its new set of pills that can be taken without water. The tablets, manufactured with Ractab technology can be orally disintegrated and the Osaka company is seek approval with U.S. authorities for market approvals.

The company is strong in technologies to control drug particle size and offers hypertension and diabetes treatments manufactured with the Ractab technology in Japan. The lineup in the U.S. has yet to be set, and sales will likely be contracted out to pharmaceutical sales companies there.

President Itsuro Yoshida said, "In price competition, there is no way of winning. But Towa may stand a chance "if the product's convenience is recognized."

Other Japanese generics producers have their eyes on the American market. Sawai Pharmaceutical plans to sell generics there starting in 2017, while Nichi-iko Pharmaceutical will use a U.S. subsidiary purchased this summer to sell biosimilars.