Public recording of the special program "Nuchigusui na Monogatari -Listen and be at ease about medicines-" by Okinawa Television Broadcasting Co.

December 11, 2016
Public recording

On December 11, 2016, the Public Relations Committee of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PPCJ) held a public recording of the PPCJ special program "Nuchigusui na Monogatari -Learn about medicines" at the auditorium of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum. The program also introduced the importance of industry-academia collaboration and clinical trials. It was a great opportunity for participants to learn about Okinawa Prefecture, which has been known as a prefecture of longevity, and the various initiatives being undertaken in the prefecture, and to reconsider pharmaceuticals and health. The recorded program was broadcast on Okinawa Television Broadcasting Corporation on January 22, 2017.

Performers on stage

Nuchigusui na Monogatari -Listen and be at ease about medicines

The Public Relations Committee of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) held another public recording and TV broadcast in 2016 in partnership with a local TV station to promote public understanding of the importance of R&D-oriented pharmaceutical companies and the social role played by new drugs.

The 2016 public recording was held on December 11, 2016 at the auditorium of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum in a tie-up with Okinawa Television Broadcasting Corporation. On the day, in addition to Hiroaki Masuzaki, Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism, Hematology and Collagen Disease, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, and Mika Gakiya, Executive Director, Okinawa Pharmaceutical Association, the guests were popular local Okinawan TV personality HIPU and MAX NANA, singer and TV personality from Okinawa Prefecture, and Takuma Kato, Public Relations Committee Chair from the Pharmaceutical Association of Japan Takuma Kato, chairman of the Public Relations Committee of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PAPJ), participated in the event, communicating with the audience through a VTR.

Medicine and Health

Committee Chair Kato explained the classification of drugs, including the difference between ethical drugs and over-the-counter drugs, and began the session with a conversation that included episodes from each of the guests.

Performers

About health in Okinawa Prefecture

Blessed with subtropical nature and a unique food culture, Okinawa Prefecture has been known as a prefecture of longevity, but according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Okinawa is now ranked 3rd for women and 30th for men in the longevity rankings, destroying the myth of Okinawa as a prefecture of longevity. Furthermore, it was introduced that Okinawa Prefecture has the highest percentage of people with pre-metabolic syndrome in Japan.

In Okinawa Prefecture, approximately 13,000 patients suffer from diabetes. Among them, the outpatient consultation rate is the lowest in Japan, the number of dialysis patients due to complications is the fifth highest in Japan, and the mortality rate due to diabetes is higher than the national average for both men and women. He also mentioned that it is important to know one's condition and that early detection can be achieved by undergoing early checkups, which is why health checkups are important.

Performers explaining about diseases commonly found in Okinawa Prefecture

Diseases and New Drugs "Diabetes

Even in Okinawa Prefecture, once known as an island of longevity, metabolic syndrome has become a serious problem due to changes in dietary habits and lack of exercise. In recent years, diabetes has been on the rise, causing complications such as strokes and myocardial infarctions, and Okinawa Prefecture has one of the highest death rates from diabetes in Japan.

The pathophysiology and complications of diabetes were introduced in detail with a VTR from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the Ryukyus.

The treatment for diabetes is to improve lifestyle through diet and exercise therapy, but drugs are also evolving, and many new drugs have been introduced recently. She also said that one of the important things to remember about diabetes is that it is a disease that must be dealt with in a positive manner, and that although it is difficult to completely cure diabetes with current medical treatment, there are many drug options available, and by improving lifestyle habits such as exercise and diet to get the full effect of these drugs, the overall treatment of diabetes can be properly controlled and treated with the correct knowledge. It was introduced that diabetes can be properly controlled and is not a scary disease if it is handled with correct knowledge.

After the VTR, Dr. Masuzaki talked about drugs, saying, "Since the condition of diabetes differs from patient to patient, drugs should be selected according to the patient's needs, and sometimes a combination of several drugs is used.

He also introduced a graph summarizing the level of satisfaction with treatment and the contribution of drugs for each disease based on a questionnaire survey of physicians.

The graph showed that diabetes mellitus has a high level of treatment satisfaction and a high level of contribution from drugs. On the other hand, treatment satisfaction is low for retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, the three major complications of diabetes, and the disease awaits the introduction of innovative new drugs. Therefore, it is important to prevent diabetes from developing complications, and it is a disease that must be treated appropriately, he said.

Chairman Kato concluded the session by saying, "There are many diseases and illnesses that require treatment but for which there is no definitive treatment or drug.

Remote island medicine in Irabu Island

Okinawa Prefecture has a large number of remote islands, and one of their features is remote island medicine, and the VTR used Irabu Island as an example to introduce what is important in remote island medicine, the state of home-visit medicine, the role of pharmacists, and the importance of drugs.

The population of Irabu Island is approximately 7,000, and the Tokushukai Irabu Island Clinic was the only medical institution on the island, but with the opening of the Irabu Bridge in January 2015, the clinic is now less burdened. However, on Irabu Island, where approximately 2,000 people are aged 65 or older, home-visit medical care is very important, and the clinic takes into account the patient's home situation and background. The Uechi Pharmacy is in charge of all the island's pharmaceuticals, and a pharmacist told us, "There are hardships unique to remote islands, especially when traffic is blocked by typhoons. In particular, traffic is sometimes cut off due to typhoons, etc., so it is very important to stock drugs and communicate with pharmaceutical wholesalers.

About Drug Discovery "Industry-Academia Collaboration

A VTR from the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, which is focusing on industry-academia collaboration to develop new drugs, was shown. Afterwards, Dr. Yuetsu Tanaka, Professor of the Department of Immunology at the University of the Ryukyus, introduced the efforts of industry-academia collaboration at the Faculty of Medicine and what new drugs have been developed through industry-academia collaboration.

Although many therapeutic drugs have been developed in the past, the current situation is that the development of drugs is becoming more difficult every year, and industry-academia collaboration is important to solve this problem. He also mentioned that it is important for pharmaceutical companies and universities to collaborate and jointly develop new technologies.

Chairperson Kato explained the process of new drug development with a quiz for the guests.

He also explained that the pharmaceutical industry is characterized by a high ratio of R&D expenses among various industries, with some R&D spending tens of billions of yen and some spending more than 100 billion yen.

About Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are the last step for drug candidates developed over a long period of time. Dr. Shinichiro Ueda, Professor of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, gave a VTR introduction on what clinical trials are and why they are necessary.

Clinical trials are very important for the development of new drugs, and he introduced what clinical trials are, the flow of clinical trials, clinical trial coordinators, and the advantages and disadvantages of participating in clinical trials from a clinical trial coordinator.

Mr. Ueda commented, "Thanks to new drugs, diseases that could not be cured can now be cured, and diseases can be treated without surgery. New drugs support the lives and health of many people. The drugs we are using today have been created with the cooperation of many people and through clinical trials," he concluded the VTR with the words, "The drugs we are using today have been created with the cooperation of many people and through clinical trials.

Public relations activities of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association" to promote understanding of the pharmaceutical industry

Regarding public relations activities, Chairman Kato stated, "The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) is actively engaged in providing information to the general public by holding TV symposiums like this one and through newspapers, magazines, and publications. The website also has a Q&A corner to answer familiar questions about pharmaceuticals and a pharmaceutical consultation service to provide information to help people learn about pharmaceuticals and the pharmaceutical industry," he said.

Closing Remarks

In response to the moderator's final question, "Please raise your hand if you feel that today's story about life-saving medicines was life-saving," all participants raised their hands, and the open recording ended with a loud round of applause from the audience.

Scene at the venue