Toward the Creation of an Ecosystem to Enhance Japan's Drug Discovery Capability
July 01, 2022
Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
Chairman Yasushi Okada
Nowadays, the seeds of innovative new drugs are created by academia and venture companies. In order for Japan to remain a country that creates new drugs, there is an urgent need to build an ecosystem that promotes organic collaboration among various players, including venture companies.
In the "Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2022," the government has stated that it will enhance its scientific and technological capabilities by strengthening drug discovery, and in the "New Capitalism Grand Design and Action Plan," it has stated that it will promote efforts to make drug discovery a growth industry. We have also positioned "People," "Science, Technology and Innovation," "Startups," "Green Transformation," and "Digital Transformation" as priority investment areas. Furthermore, this year has been designated as the "First Year of Startup Creation," and we have declared that we will implement strong support for startups, which are the key to innovation.
Under the "Strategy for Strengthening Vaccine Development and Production Systems" approved by the Cabinet last year, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) has launched the "Drug Discovery Venture Ecosystem Enhancement Project" and has recently announced the selection of certified VCs. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) welcomes this announcement, believing that many innovative drug discovery seeds will be created through the investment and hands-on support for drug discovery ventures by certified VCs and the assistance provided by this project. We, the pharmaceutical industry, will play a role in the exit strategy of this project, leading the seeds created by the drug discovery ventures to practical application and contributing to the creation of many successful examples.
The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PAPJ) will continue to make every effort to build an ecosystem for the creation of healthcare innovations originating in Japan through the collaboration of industry, academia, and government.
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