Drug Information Q&A Q36. Are there any drugs developed in Japan that are attracting worldwide attention?

Answer

There are not many countries in the world that can create new drugs. Among them, Japanese pharmaceutical companies have the ability to create the third largest number of new drugs in the world. Many drugs have been developed by Japanese pharmaceutical companies and have received high international recognition. Here are some examples.

Explanation

Therapeutic agent for hypertension

These two drugs are classified as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and are widely prescribed worldwide as one of the first-line drugs for hypertension treatment. The basic framework of ARBs was created by a Japanese pharmaceutical company in the 1970s, followed by the first domestically produced ARB candesartan in 1997 and the second, olmesartan, in 2004.

Prostate cancer treatment

Leuprorelin was developed in 1985, opening a new avenue of endocrine (hormone) therapy for prostate cancer. Leuprorelin was later developed and marketed as an injectable formulation that utilized microcapsule technology to release the drug gradually over the course of a month. (There is now a version that lasts up to three months after a single injection.)

Dyslipidemia treatment

Statins are a generic term for drugs that improve dyslipidemia by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis in the body. 8 statins have been marketed in Japan and around the world since the discovery of the first statin from blue mold in Japan in 1973, and have greatly changed the treatment of dyslipidemia. Pravastatin, a statin originating in Japan, was created in 1989 after clinical trials in more than 20,000 cases worldwide, and rosuvastatin, a potent bad cholesterol-lowering agent, was introduced in Japan in 2005.

Immunosuppressant

Tacrolimus was discovered in the actinomycetes at the foot of Mount Tsukuba and launched in 1993 as an immunosuppressive drug that effectively and safely suppresses rejection in organ (liver) transplantation. This drug was first highly evaluated in Europe and the United States, where organ transplantation is very popular. It is now being used for a wider range of indications, including kidney and bone marrow transplants, and is playing a major role in organ transplantation in Japan, where organ transplants are becoming more widespread.

Drugs for overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a disease that causes symptoms such as urgency to urinate, frequent urination, and urge urinary incontinence. It is common in middle-aged and older adults and often interferes with daily life. Since its launch in Europe in 2004, solifenacin has been sold in approximately 80 countries and regions.

Antimicrobial agents

Levofloxacin, which has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, was developed in 1993 as a result of further research into ofloxacin, an antibacterial drug developed in Japan in 1985. It has twice the antibacterial activity of ofloxacin, and is indicated for 24 species of bacteria and 43 diseases. Both drugs have become historic antimicrobial agents worldwide.

Drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD)

As the population ages, the number of AD patients is increasing worldwide, and it has become a social problem. Donepezil hydrochloride increases the amount of acetylcholine in the brain by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, thereby inhibiting the progression of AD symptoms.

Antipsychotics

Aripiprazole was synthesized in Japan in 1987 and launched in the United States in 2002 as the world's first antipsychotic with the ability to stabilize dopamine neurotransmission. The development of the drug, taking advantage of its unique mechanism of action, has led to the acquisition of 13 indications worldwide, including improvement of manic symptoms in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as depression and depressive states, and the drug is currently marketed in 60 countries and regions.

Drugs for type 2 diabetes

Pioglitazone was launched in the United States and Japan in 1999 as a breakthrough new drug that improves insulin resistance characteristic of type 2 diabetes and lowers blood glucose levels without placing a burden on the pancreas. Ciglitazone, the world's first compound to improve insulin resistance, was discovered in the course of research on obesity and related diseases, and pioglitazone was born as a result of further research. It is currently marketed in approximately 90 countries worldwide.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Tocilizumab is the first antibody drug produced in Japan and was the first drug approved in the world in 2005 for the treatment of Castleman's disease, a rare disease. The drug was developed through research conducted by a pharmaceutical company and a university in collaboration with industry and academia. Subsequently, it was recognized to be effective as a treatment for various autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile onset arthritis, and is currently marketed in more than 90 countries.

Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL)

In 2012, the antibody drug mogamulizumab was launched in Japan as a treatment for ATL, ahead of other countries around the world, contributing to the treatment of this rare disease.

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