Employee Introduction
The road to drug discovery research is long and arduous.
Sometimes I feel like I'm going to give up.
Even in such a case, there will be someone who will be your support.
Researcher（medicinal chemistry）
2017―Entered the Company after graduating from the Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science
Targeting rare diseases of the central nervous system, we are taking on the challenge of creating nucleic acid therapeutics.
During my graduate studies, I conducted research at the intersection of organic synthetic chemistry and structural biology. I wanted to engage in research that utilized my knowledge of chemistry, so I visited chemical manufacturers during my job hunting. The reason I chose to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical company was that I wanted to work on research that could contribute to patients around the world. Drug discovery is challenging and requires a long-term commitment, but as a researcher, I found it both challenging and exciting.
What ultimately led me to join Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma was the impression I got from the senior researchers I met during the interviews. They showed great interest in my research at the university. From these impressions, I felt that I could engage in research with a free and creative mindset at this company.
Since joining the company, I have been involved in the discovery of compounds that could become drug candidates in departments related to central nervous system diseases and rare diseases. Initially, I joined a project aimed at developing small molecule drugs. From my second year, I requested to be involved in a project aimed at developing new modality therapeutics. Among the new modalities, nucleic acid therapeutics are particularly promising as treatments for rare diseases that have no established therapies, because they can target molecules like RNA that are difficult to target with traditional small molecules. I aim to contribute to drug discovery by promoting research in areas where my expertise can be best utilized.
The theme that we had been planning steadily has become a project.
The research theme I had been preparing for was finally turned into a project last year. Although I cannot discuss the details, it is a project aimed at developing a treatment for rare central nervous system diseases. I have been conducting fundamental research to apply nucleic acid therapeutics to this disease. I am not only the leader of chemical synthesis team but also the leader of this project, which includes researchers from various departments such as pharmacology and pharmacokinetics. Additionally, in this project, we are conducting research in collaboration with academia. We work daily with both internal and external researchers to create new drugs that meet patients' expectations.
In recent years, nucleic acid therapeutics are being adapted not only for peripheral tissues but also for central nervous system diseases, including the brain. However, there are still obstacles to overcome. The nucleic acid therapeutics and delivery technologies we are currently researching have the potential to contribute to the treatment of other central nervous system diseases, in addition to the current indications. I feel that we are challenging the forefront of drug discovery research.
I want to be a researcher who can continue to think about what patients really want.
Drug discovery research, which creates 1 from 0, is long and difficult, and sometimes it can be frustrating. The appeal of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is that there are colleagues who will reach out and push you. These colleagues, even across departments, provide hints for new drug discovery and support the acquisition of new technologies, offering sincere advice. Additionally, working on drug discovery research while feeling the enthusiasm of university researchers, as in the current project, is one of the enjoyable aspects. For researchers who want to take on challenges, it is an exciting environment.
My goal is to succeed in the project, launch new drugs, and deliver them to patients worldwide. There are many obstacles to overcome in conducting this research, but I want to create compounds that can become a hope for patients suffering from diseases for which no effective treatment has been established. To achieve this, it is important not only to delve deeply into my specialized field but also to incorporate the latest knowledge with a broad perspective. I am also interested in activities such as Patient and Public Involvement. What kind of research should we, as drug discovery researchers, engage in to solve the problems of patients, their families, and society? I want to be a researcher who can constantly think about this.
- Career step
- 2017 Assigned to the Chemistry Group for diseases in the central nervous system
2023 Assigned as the leader of nucleic acid drug discovery project
* The affiliation and description in the article are those at the time of interview.
