Drug Information Q&A Q37. What is the term "Ikuyaku" that we hear so much about these days?
Answer
Drugs are used not only to treat patients' illnesses, but also to improve patient care by collecting information on the results of actual use and applying it to the improvement of drugs and the development of new drugs. This is called "drug development" because it is a process of nurturing drugs to make them even better.
Explanation
The process of drug development can be broadly divided into "drug discovery" and "drug development.
Drug discovery refers to the process from basic research for the development of a new drug, through clinical trials, to the production of the drug.
On the other hand, drug development refers to the process where information obtained after a drug is used in hospitals and clinics is utilized to improve the drug and make it more appropriate for use, and to develop new drugs.
Hospitals and clinics use the same drug for many patients of different ages, genders, symptoms, and constitutions. In addition, the same drug may be used in combination with other drugs. As a result, we are able to identify areas that need to be improved, such as the effects of drugs and their usage, which were not known at the drug discovery stage.
For example, many elderly people have asked for a drug that is easier to take. Such comments are compiled by physicians and pharmacists and communicated to pharmaceutical companies, which then use the information to improve the drug to make it easier to take.
In order to collect information that will serve as the basis for drug development, a post-marketing surveillance is conducted after a drug has been used in hospitals and clinics.
Post-marketing surveillance consists of a system for conducting surveillance of new drugs for 4 to 10 years (usually 8 years) after their launch to re-examine their efficacy and safety, a re-evaluation system to re-evaluate them in light of the latest scientific standards, and a reporting system for adverse drug reactions and infectious diseases.
These systems function in a comprehensive manner to confirm the efficacy and safety of drugs from a wide range of perspectives.
Efficacy and safety information collected by pharmaceutical companies through physicians and pharmacists through post-marketing surveillance is further communicated to and utilized by medical institutions to promote appropriate use. Pharmaceutical companies use this information to further study the drug and use it as a reference when improving the drug or developing a new drug.
In this way, they can provide safer and more effective drugs to patients and expand the possibilities of treatment. This kind of activity after a drug is marketed is called drug development.
Today's well-known drugs, such as aspirin and penicillin, are more effective and have fewer side effects than when they were first created, thanks to innovations and improvements. This was based on information obtained from the medical community (medical professionals and patients).
Chart/Column
37｜From Drug Discovery to Drug Development
Even after the launch of a new drug, a variety of useful information is obtained through the cooperation of many patients, and the drug continues to grow.
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