I desire to bring our pharmaceutical products to many patients as possible around the world.

Developer

2012-Entered the Company after graduating from a school of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience

I felt CRA as a rewarding job, which is still my passion to work.

Before joining the company, I was conducting research for relationship between diseases and biological clock. Through this research, I felt that I want to make contribution to the society by helping patients suffering from diseases, which led to applying for Clinical Research Associate (CRA) at a pharmaceutical company. The reason I chose Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma was the impression from the people. I felt that I want to work with the people I met through the interview by making me feel at home.

After starting my career, I experienced clinical trials for hepatitis C, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetes for three and a half year. The responsibility of CRA is to check that the trials are conducted as planned at medical institutions. There are various tasks such as negotiation with the doctors and collecting trial data to conduct trial without issues. This is one of the closest job to the medical field in a pharmaceutical company.

Target patients regarding to the clinical trial for hepatitis C was patients visiting the hospital frequently, and not being cured. One day, I found a medical record having voice of the patient saying, “I finally feel that a load off my mind by treatment for many years”. Also, I heard from the CRC that another patient was saying that “It was wonderful to participate in the trial and I would like to thank the pharmaceutical company”. I really felt that I am making contribution by a rewarded job which I can be proud of. This feeling is still my motivation for working.

The project started to move by my proposal of the clinical trial plan.

In 2015, which was my fourth year, I was transferred to the planning department. This role is from planning to evaluation of the clinical trial protocol, documentation for approval, which means every part of the clinical trial. This is a very important role for drug development.

Clinical planning is not only made internally, but it also requires working with many business partners, sometimes including partners located overseas. As an example, the trial which I recently experienced, I had to work close with a company in the U.S., which was the licensor. We needed corporation from the partner to follow the schedule even they didn’t have experience conducting trials in Japan and, the trial in the U.S. was ongoing because Japan was the first region to submit the application. But there was a gap of understanding for scheduling the trial in Japan. The reason was that we couldn’t let them understand the overview of the project and situation in Japan.

So, I sorted out the situation by actively participating to the meetings, listening to people to understand our partners standing point. From these activities, I proposed a mutually beneficial development plan at the top management meeting, which led to understating and approval. I was able to have a valuable experience an opportunity which required collaboration with a company located overseas.

Having a fulfilled work-life balance by focused work during short-time working for childcare.

I took one year maternity leave in 2020 and working short-time after coming back. It is natural in our company to change our way to work according to changes in life. My colleagues are very supportive when I must go home early when my child is sick. Through short-time working, I became able to focus on my work better than before which led to a fulfilled work-life balance.

I was very lucky to experience phase I～III as a CRA, and also being able to participate from starting the clinical trials to submission of approval at the planning department. I would like to deliver our pharmaceutical products to patients around the world by contributing to projects and using my experience.

Career step: 2012 Assigned to clinical trial for hepatitis C as a CRA
2014 Assigned to clinical trials for age-related macular degeneration and diabetes
2015 Transferred to planning department. Assigned to development plan for diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, renal anemia, and Parkinson's disease
2020 Maternity leave
2021 Assigned to development planning for diabetic neuropathy

* The affiliation and description in the article are those at the time of interview.