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. The ability to create new medicines is vital not only for protecting the health of the nation but also for economic growth. Experts have presented new perspectives on how to resolve this problem.
It is generally assumed that the cause of declining drug discovery capability is a "lack of new drug candidates (drug discovery seeds)." However, according to an analysis by the Mitsubishi Research Institute, the real challenge lies elsewhere. While Japan possesses a wealth of excellent research results, the current situation is that they are not being fully utilized.
The biggest challenge is a lack of "initial design"—the process of refining research results born in universities and research institutions into a form that companies and investors can evaluate. From the early stages of research, it is necessary to clarify the path toward practical application and business success.
Moving forward, closer collaboration between researchers, companies, and investors is essential. To deliver research results as medicines that serve society, establishing a strategic support system that keeps practical application in mind from the early stages of research will be the key to restoring Japan's drug discovery capability.