my impression on pharmaceutical companies especially r&d

3
. MyImpressionon Pharmaceutical Companies , EspeciallyR&DActivities Dr.ElmarKonz Hoechst JapanLtd. Asascientistbeingactiveinpharmaceuticalresearchand development , 1 amconvincedthat theR&Dactivityfornewdrugsisundoubtedlythekeytoimproveearningsandgrowthof pharmaceuticalmanufactures. It wasaverychallengingopportunityformetotakeoverthe researchanddevelopmentactivitiesofHoechstJapannearlysixyearsago.TheJapanese pharmaceuticalmarketistheworld'ssecondbiggestmarket (21.5%oftheworldmarket in 1989)and for any pharmaceutical company striving for a global presence , the three main blocks of Northern America , WesternEurope and Japan aretheclear priorities (togetherthey represent85%of thefreeworld'smarket). At fir st , 1 would like to look at the history of Pharma Research Laboratories of Hoechst Japan shortly, because1 thinkthatthehistory reflectstheintentionof GermanmanagerinHoechst totheJapanesepharmaceutical industry. After being of active business in J apan already for some time , Hoechst decided in 1966to build andsubsequentlyexpandmodernR&DLaboratoriesinKawagoe under the own contro l .This was done at a time when restriction of a foreign ownership were relaxed and patent protection was strengthened. These facilities now have a research group , which has been experienced and knowledgeinalldevelopment-relatedmatters This was the only way to satisfy the regulations regarding domestically conducted pre-clinical andclinical trialsrequiredbythegovernmentformedical products manufactured , soldand usedinJ apan.Until 1 981 , themaintaskforLaboratoryhas beenthedevelopmentworkfor introductionof newcompounds fromHoechstrelatedcompaniesintoJ apan. In 1981 , Basic researchactivitieswereestabl ishedonpurposeofdevelopingtheHoechstJapanoriginated compoundsandtechniquesusingthebiotechnologicalapproach.HoechstJapanhasconcenュ tratedthebasicresearchmanpowerinselected areas , which haveagreatneedfornew therapeuticalapproachesandahugemarketexpectationespeciallybecauseoftherapidly agingJapanesesociety.International colaborationnetworkshavebeenestablishedwiththe leadingrolecenteredinHoechstJ apanLimited Todaytheformationof theworld-wideR&D network , basedonthetripolar strategyamong Europe , USandJ apanintegratestheJ apaneseingenuitytoincreaseHoechstR&Dactivity Creativityispairedwithenduranceandperfectionalism.Thisleadstou -5-

Upload: others

Post on 30-Dec-2021

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: My Impression on Pharmaceutical Companies Especially R&D

. --ロ..........茎.........ロ:;;;~:::::::::;::=:::::::::=::=:::::::::=::=:::::::::=::::: :::・… ..._ .... ...・:==:=::::::-====::・:・:・ :-zzzz:::::::::zzzz.::::::::===Z:::: . :.::ZZEZ1.一ー……・・ ・…一 ・…・ー・・・・…..h..ー・・....“自由・・・・…・・・・・・……・・・・...........ー…….__.…・・.._.......“・・・・ ー…・・... . . . ・・・・・.... .

My Impression on ~apanese Pharmaceutical Companies, Especially R&D Activities

Dr. Elmar Konz

Hoechst Japan Ltd.

As a scientist being active in pharmaceutical research and development, 1 am convinced that

the R&D activity for new drugs is undoubtedly the key to improve earnings and growth of

pharmaceutical manufactures. It was a very challenging opportunity for me to take over the

research and development activities of Hoechst Japan nearly six years ago. The Japanese

pharmaceutical market is the world's second biggest market (21.5% of the world market in

1989) and for any pharmaceutical company striving for a global presence, the three main blocks

of Northern America, Western Europe and Japan are the clear priorities (together they

represent 85% of the free world's market).

At first, 1 would like to look at the history of Pharma Research Laboratories of Hoechst Japan

shortly, because 1 think that the history reflects the intention of German manager in Hoechst

to the Japanese pharmaceutical industry.

After being of active business in J apan already for some time, Hoechst decided in 1966 to build

and subsequently expand modern R&D Laboratories in Kawagoe under the own control. This

was done at a time when restriction of a foreign ownership were relaxed and patent protection

was strengthened. These facilities now have a research group, which has been experienced and

knowledge in all development-related matters

This was the only way to satisfy the regulations regarding domestically conducted pre-clinical

and clinical trials required by the government for medical products manufactured, sold and

used in J apan. Until 1981 , the main task for Laboratory has been the development work for

introduction of new compounds from Hoechst related companies into J apan. In 1981 , Basic

research activities were established on purpose of developing the Hoechst Japan originated

compounds and techniques using the biotechnological approach. Hoechst Japan has concenュ

trated the basic research manpower in selected areas, which have a great need for new

therapeutical approaches and a huge market expectation especially because of the rapidly

aging Japanese society. International collaboration networks have been established with the

leading role centered in Hoechst J apan Limited

Today the formation of the world-wide R&D network , based on the tripolar strategy among

Europe, US and J apan integrates the J apanese ingenuity to increase Hoechst R&D activity

Creativity is paired with endurance and perfectionalism. This leads to u

-5-

shinbeii
テキストボックス
My Impression on Japanese Pharmaceutical Companpanies, Especially R&D Activities Hoechst Japan Ltd.(ヘキストジャパン株式会社) Elmar Konz
Page 2: My Impression on Pharmaceutical Companies Especially R&D

-ー・・・・・ ・ ・ ・ ・・ ・・・・・・ …… ・・・・-……・・・・ ..… ・・4・・ー ー-ー... . . .. . .・・・・ . . ... . .. ・・・・- …......_...……・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一一・・・・・ ・・・…・・・.・・……_.._.. "・・・・ . . .. . . ..・・・・ . . .. .. . ・・・・ - ・・・・・・・・・・・・ ・ ・ ー ・ ・.._ .... .. .. ・・・_ ..・・ ー・ ・ ー・・・・・ー・・ ・ ・ ・ ・・・・・・… ・・ ・ ・・・・. .. . . . ..・・・・ . . .“・・・・・・ ・・・・・ ・ ・・ ・-・・・・ -・ . . ... _.._ .. . . . . . . . _. ._ ..- ・・・・ . .. ... ..・・・・ ....・・ ・・・・ ー ......・・・・…… ・・ー ....... ._.ー……・・・・ ・……・・・・- ・・…・・・・-……・・・・ .... . ...・・・・ー……・・・・ ・・・ ・...・・・・…ー_.._ ..

On the other hand , Japan does not have such a long history of R&D activities in pharmaceutical

field. Actually prior to 1960 there was no domestic pharmaceutical R&D in Japan; the Japanese

companies sold mostly vitamines and a chinese medicines besides products licensed in from

abroad. During these time, the western pharmaceutical companies lived on guaranteed returns

from their licensed compounds. Japan was one of the important countries for marketing but not

as R&D center

1n the 1970's and early 1980's the pharmaceutical companies experienced the golden age of

pharmaceuticals in Japan. The all encompassing health care system offered few restrictions to

drug prescribing and the market grew phenomenally. During this period, the Japanese com.

panies built up the backbone for their own discovery power to create innovative pharmaceuti

cals. Almost 400 new chemical entities were approved in Japan in the period 1980- 1989 ,

165 (42%) stemed from ] apanese laboratories. This is even more impressive if one considers

that most of the compounds which were approved in 1980's was discovered already in the 70'

s. The trend is continuing and therefore we have to regard ]apan as an important R&D center.

1 think that the success of ]apanese pharmaceutical industry in such a short term depends on

the following ]apanese special environment and background.

The first thing is the high-quality education throughout the nation. Since most of the people are

at the level of more than high school graduates, Japanese companies can easily hire many

people at higher educational level compared to the companies in other countries. The second is

the ] apanese mind 邸、 team playerぺ

Generally speaking, a group activity tends to be regarded as more important than any talented

individual activities in Japan.

The internal communication and bottom-up decision are respected in a consensus society like

Japan. Once a decision is made by concerned people through multi-negotiation steps, those

people can pay all their efforts to attain their targets which are clearly defined

There are the other circumstances for supporting such Japanese team play mind. 1n the western

countries, the researcher and technician are clearly distinguished in the laboratory, but the

clarification of the researcher and technician is very difficult in Japan. The sense of 、we all

scientists" leads to the strong mind of team play. 1 was afraid that the 、excess

-6-

Page 3: My Impression on Pharmaceutical Companies Especially R&D

:--HEm------・・・2・・・・"・・・・・.. ....・d・-・雪・・…..・・・・・・・・ ・・・・・・・... .. . ...・・・・ ........・・・・……- ー.._ ........._._..・・・・-・・・・・・…・…・・・・・・・ー…・・・・…・・・…・・・竺・・ー.._......... _..ー .........・・・・-・・・・...._..・・・ ・・…・・・"・…・ ・・・・・・・・ ... . .....・・・・・・.・・・ .. ._.._.. ..... . . _.._ .. . ......・・・・.....・・ ・・・・・・・・・…・・..・ー・・・・・. . .・・・・・ ・・ .

…_.._..・・・・・・・・・・・-・・…-・・・・……一一........ー..・…・…・・・・・・・・・・・.._.・-…・・ 一-ー… ...ー・・・…・・・ ・・・・・・…-・4・・・・ ....ー・・・・・…・..ー

brewery companies into pharmaceutical field. The NHI price reductions have hurt all comュ

panies over the decades. If one sets the price index in 1979 equal to 100 the index in 1990 is less

than 50. This has forced to eliminate many low price pharmaceuticals out of the market and

has reduced the life span of others considerably. The ]apanese companies have recognized very

quickly that continuous development and successful introductions of new pharmaceuticals are

the only way to increase profitability and to survive. This is supported by the MHW with one

of the fastest , most efficient regurating process in the world

The effective and aggressive R&D business being made by new comers is in intensifying

competition. Their efforts are so far limited to drug discovery with licensing partners for

development. One strong focus area is the biotechnology field and especially molecular biology.

1 would like to mention other characteristics of ]apanese R&D of pharmaceutical companies.

The most characteristic thing is the relationship of the company with the university.

Some company researchers are sent to universities or research institutes not only to learn new

techniques/knowledges but also to make a new/good connection with doctors or professors.

Because ]apanese companies traditionally recruit most of their staff directly from university,

keeping a good relationship with the professors over a long period is essential for researchュ

based companies in order to get good graduates recommended by them.

And one more characteristic thing about the relationship is the ホConfidence Societyヘ which

was one of the difficult things for me to make German managers understand. When company

collaborates with the university, more activities possibly proceed in reciprocal confidence

among persons/organizations concerned (without signing any contract or agreement) , which

is an unbelievable thing for us living in the Contract Society of western countries.

Whether our R&D activities as the foreign affiliates in ]apan will result in success depends on

whether we can introduce the unique or characteristic R&D activities based on the global

strategy of Hoechst through ]apanese scientists under the harmonized ]apanese and German

management methods. This will also be determined by the increasing difficulties in recruiting

high quality graduates in the future. To attract high caliber scientists the company has t

Date of Birth : March 3 , 1944

Place of Birth : Ingelheim, Germany

1966-1970 : Diploma & Promotion Thesis with Prof. R. Huisgen , Munchen

1970-1973: Post-doctoral Fellow with Prof. R. Huisgen , Prof. E. E. van Tamelen, Prof. R. B. Woodward and

Prof. S. Hunig

1974 : Joined Hoechst AG

1989-date : Managing Director, Head of Pharma Research Laboratories and Division Manager of Pharma

Production Division

-7-