In addition to intermediation of global services, we also offer contracted services such as bio-analysis at Japanese labs.
First of all, please tell us about your business.
As a Japanese subsidiary of the Pharmaron Group, which is a global CRO (a contracting agency for pharmaceutical development), we mainly provide contract services to Japanese clients, and we also provide contract services for bioanalysis in Japanese labs.
What was the reason you decided to work on this business?
In the first place, the Farmeron Group has become a global CRO in Europe and the United States, but there are no local bases in Japan, so it was necessary to make inquiries in English via the global website and order them. Therefore, with the aim of expanding the Japanese market, we launched Fermaron Japan at the end of 2020 with the aim of establishing a local subsidiary and a lab to expand our business.
I am the representative of Fermaron Japan and the so-called lab head of the research department. Previously, he was a member of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and has been involved in research for many years in the Preclinical Research Division. Since then, as a research manager, I have been in charge of pharmacokinetics, biosample analysis, etc. In launching the lab, I wanted to provide services from my research field, which is my strength.
In addition to economies of scale globally, our strength is that we can provide top-level services even in our own specialty areas.
What are the domestic services that you are currently working on?
After drugs are administered to animals and humans in preclinical and clinical trials, we receive biosamples such as blood and urine, and mainly measure the blood concentration of drugs.
In addition, clinical trials often quantify biomarkers such as proteins and genes that fluctuate due to drug administration at the same time as drugs, and they are also compatible with those services. As data reliability is essential to applying for drug development, we are applying for approval for a GLP (Good Laboratory Practice)-compliant facility with Har Mona Is with a global bio-analysis site.
What do you think are the strengths of Fermaron Japan?
Although there are CROs in Japan, there are still few institutions that have labs in Japan at Global CROs. We, Fermaron, have about 21 lab sites, mainly in Asia, Europe and the United States, and have more than 20,000 staff members. In addition to research and development, we are engaged in commercial production, and we can respond to most of the drug modalities that have been diversifying in recent years within the Group.
By doing so globally and Her Mona Iz, we can provide global-level services to domestic clients in a wider range of fields, and of course, we can provide top-level services to global clients in areas where Farmeron Japan excels. In particular, I have a wealth of experience in the development of protein and antibody drugs, so I think there are advantages in bioanalysis and pharmacokinetic fields such as antibodies.
Currently, many of the heads of global sites are head-hunted from lab heads of mega-pharma. Our strength is that there are people from several pharmaceutical companies, including me, at Pharmaron Japan, and it is easy for clients to expect CROs and understand project needs.
I was interested in Mitsui Fudosan's new embarking on a project that supports research innovation.
What was the reason you moved to Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 1?
At the beginning of the company, I was renting only an office at Nihonbashi Life Science Building 7 in Mitsui Fudosan in Ningyocho. I wanted to carefully examine the lab and decide, so even after the company was launched, I had a look at various rental labs inside. One of them is Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 1.……At that time, it was still a vacant lot before construction (laughs). Perhaps our company was the first or second of the residents.
While you were so particular about searching, where was the decisive factor that chose the newly built Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba1 instead of the existing lab where you can see and check the current situation?
First of all, I was interested in Mitsui Fudosan starting a new business "supporting research innovation" initiative. In addition, I felt the strength of real estate majors in terms of access and location, where I chose land suitable for research facilities very much. I thought that if Mitsui Fudosan is working on this far, it would be possible to expect a support system.
In addition to the location, the conditions required for our lab were extremely harsh, such as securing sufficient space and BSL2 compatible facilities, but Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 1 had an environment where this could be achieved. As a support system, when something becomes necessary, listen to this story carefully and consider what to do sincerely. And the know-how gained there seems to be utilized in Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2 and 3, which will open in the future. We have made a lot of requests for improvement so far, but in that sense we may be a contributor to the evolution of this laboratory facility. (laughs).
Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba would create a "research city where research institutions gather and create new innovations."
What kind of development do you expect from Mitsui Link Lab in the future?
I hope Shinkiba will create a new research city where research institutions from all over the world gather. Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2 and 3 will increase, and it will be a stimulus if we can interact with various research institutions beyond that facility, and expectations for innovation will increase. As more companies have labs in Shinkiba, we can also hold events that are more likely to create innovation, focusing on areas related to each business.
In my case, I have been working for a company for a long time, and speaking of stimulus, I only interact with other departments, but here there are various experts from all fields. I feel that there is a different world here.
That's not only in Japan but also from all over the world.
Well, Shinkiba is also a very attractive location for global companies. It takes about 30 minutes by taxi from Haneda Airport and is closer to Tokyo Station. In fact, the fact that it is convenient for us to welcome people from Europe, the United States and China was an important point. Not only that, but also the bases of major transportation companies are gathered, the delivery is smooth, and the access to medical institutions in the city center is good.
I think it's still an area with potential, so in the future there will be hotels and commercial facilities that can be used by research institutes from all over the world, so after having a meeting with visitors in the lab, you can easily go to a little dinner.……I hope that Mitsui Fudosan will develop a scale that can be achieved.