Collaboration with related organizations

Creating drugs is a big project which proceeds hand in hand with other persons concerned.
Our laboratory conducts studies on optimization and pharmacology of pipeline compounds, and develops drug seeds jointly with more than 20 universities and research institutes both at home and overseas.

Entering the full-scale development stage of drug seeds, we commission non-clinical safety study in GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients in GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) to external institutions. In cooperation with medical organizations, we also practice clinical trials according to GCP (Good Clinical Practice). At Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, we have conducted Investigator Initiated Trials on medicine for schizophrenia which our laboratory played a central role in developing. As for a drug for protecting peritoneum, clinical study has been practiced at Tokai University Hospital.

Manufactured and distributed as a medical product, drug seeds finally serve the society, after pharmaceutical company obtains an approval under the Pharmaceutical Law. Our laboratory aims to license our seeds to pharmaceutical companies at the right time. In order to achieve our aim, we carry out our research, jointly with pharmaceutical companies if needed, to make the seeds we have developed much better.

While developing drugs, it is necessary to have knowledge of intellectual property, contract, pharmaceutical law and regulation in addition to the knowledge of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences. Our laboratory not only has received support from experts outside the university, but also has improved our university’s infrastructure for drug discovery, with the support from our fellows in campus, by setting up “University-Industry Collaboration Office in United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine” funded by the Tohoku University President’s Discretionary Fund and “Pharmaceutical Regulatory Science Promotion Office” funded by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The support from administrative staff is essential in procedure of outsourcing experimental operations to outside institutions. We are working hard every day to put drugs out into the world from academia, with support from many people concerned at the university and from outside.