First of all, please introduce the company.
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: Muromachi Chemical Co., Ltd. is a chemical industry company headquartered in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Its origin dates back to Sueme Yaku, which was founded in Sue Town, Fukuoka Prefecture in the Meiji era. It was temporarily closed due to the influence of World War II, but after the end of the war, the company name was renewed and restarted. Later, we entered the fields of women's health foods and ion-exchange resins, and are currently expanding our business in three businesses: pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and health foods. The Pharmaceutical Development Department moved to Kashiwa-no-ha Lab.
It's a company born in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: Today, the head office functions and pharmaceutical manufacturing plants are located in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Originally, the pharmaceutical development department was also located in the headquarters of Omuta City, but the base was relocated to Saitama Prefecture to respond to requests and consultation services from customers in the Kanto region. Furthermore, in June of this year, the development site was relocated to Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha, and its name was changed to the Pharmaceutical Development Center.
Head office of Muromachi Chemical Co., Ltd. (Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
What kind of medicines do you manufacture?
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: Our pharmaceutical business mainly consists of the synthesis and contract processing of APIs and intermediates. Some customers include ethical drug companies and over-the-counter drug companies.
Please tell us about the role of the Pharmaceutical Development Department.
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: For example, when a pharmaceutical manufacturer receives a variety of consultations, such as requests for the manufacture of APIs, the Pharmaceutical Development Department will conduct more specific studies, examine feasibility, go to customers to find more detailed stories, and provide samples. Kashiwa-no-ha Lab also has a wet lab function, so prototypes are also manufactured as needed.
Mr. Seto, Muromachi Chemical: In addition to conventional companies, the number of consultations and development requests from startups and academia has been increasing recently. There are also requests that "we are currently trying to develop new products, so we want us to cooperate." In addition, the Pharmaceutical Development Department is responsible for the production of crude drugs in small lots used in clinical trials and the study of methods for synthesizing them on a lab scale.
Dangerous goods handling rules are also strictly adhered to "facilities that can be used with peace of mind"
Why did you choose Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha as a new base?
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: In the Kashiwa-no-ha area, there are many academia and startup-related facilities in the surrounding area, and there is an environment where the latest information on pharmaceuticals and medical care can be shared. It was also attractive to have a wet lab. We have looked for quite a bit, but there are few facilities with wet labs. It's also attractive that there is no limit on the contract period. Labs operated by the government and institutions have a limited contract period and have to leave the facility when the period expires. Kashiwa-no-ha Lab has no deadline, so there is no need to move around and we can maintain connections with our customers.
What are your thoughts on "Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha"?
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: Thank you very much for your support. As I mentioned earlier, at our Kashiwa-no-ha Lab, we sometimes produce and deliver small quantities of compounds as test samples at the request of customers, so we often use organic solvents in the process, but we are very grateful that the rules for handling hazardous materials are properly aligned throughout the facility.
Mr. Sakumoto, Muromachi Chemical: Even in experiments that use only a small amount of solvent, it may be a bit complicated for researchers to go to the hazardous material warehouse to get the solvent and return it to the warehouse once the experiment is completed, but in terms of safety, I think it is a good facility because compliance is strictly adhered.
I want to find seeds for new businesses in the future through exchanges at Kashiwa-no-ha Lab.
Do you have any opportunities to interact with people from other companies in the laboratory?
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: It's been two months since I moved in, but sometimes I talk with tenants on the opposite side. There is also an opportunity for exchange in the lab, and a lunchtime event will be held this month, so I would like to continue using these scenes to deepen opportunities for interaction with everyone. In the future, I would like to hold lectures on our business for Kashiwa-no-ha Lab members.
Please tell us about what you want to achieve in the future at Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha.
Mr. Seto, Muromachi Chemical: Recently, the number of work with startups has increased, but the majority of the reasons why we asked us to visit our website and learn about it. In the future, I would like you to know more widely that we can flexibly respond to requests from academia and startups through Kashiwa-no-ha Lab and community. In the future, the work of our business divisions will progress steadily, and I would like to expand the scale of Kashiwa-no-ha.
Mr. Fukumoto, Muromachi Chemical: Our company is a small and medium-sized enterprise in terms of scale, so in order to survive within the industry, it is necessary to always take the initiative in "areas that may grow significantly in the future." In the case of our company, the mainstay of our business is the pharmaceutical business, but we will also actively collect information on the surrounding areas, such as medical devices and regenerative medicine, using Kashiwa-no-ha, and seek new directions for our business. In particular, since we are a department with strong research elements, we expect to be able to talk with Kashiwa-no-ha in various areas other than business.
