What is needed to enhance Japan's drug discovery capabilities
The decline in Japan's pharmaceutical development, or so-called "drug discovery capability," has become a major issue in recent years. Although the Japanese pharmaceutical industry once led the world, it is currently struggling amidst international competition. Why has Japan's drug discovery capability declined?
According to expert analysis, the fundamental cause is not pointed to a lack of "drug discovery seeds," which serve as the basis for new medicines. Japan has many researchers with excellent research results and high technical capabilities, and there is a sufficient source of ideas.
The true challenge lies in the "design" during the early stages of research. The lack of a well-established mechanism to refine research results born in universities and laboratories into a form that companies and investors can evaluate as a business, and to connect them to practical application, is causing delays in development.
Moving forward, a bridge is needed to smoothly connect research results to products that are useful to society. Building a system where researchers, companies, and investors cooperate to create plans with practical application in mind from the initial stages will be the key to reviving Japan's drug discovery capabilities.