Research and Development

• SK-0403: Oral hypoglycemic drug
  A dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) inhibitor that improves post-prandial hyperglycemia by increasing the levels of a specialized incretin hormone called GLP-1.
• SK-0503: Macular edema treatment
  A proprietary drug delivery system that facilitates the sustained release of dexamethasone to the posterior segment of the eye and improves macular edema associated with diabetic retinopathy and branch retinal vein occlusion
• SK-0910: Hyperuricemia treatment
  Xanthine dehydrogenase / xanthine oxidase inhibitor
  This is a uric acid synthesis inhibitor that has a hypouricemic effect by inhibiting xantine oxidase, a substance related to the production of uric acid.

Our basic position concerning research and development is to think and act clinically, and to constantly search for new value in achieving our mission, "to provide human-friendly medicines to the world." By listening to the opinions of doctors, pharmacists, and other professionals working at the front line of the clinical environment, as well as the opinions of patients, we are making continuous efforts to produce products with new value. We are concentrating our management resources on enhancing our system for research and development in the field of diabetes and diabetes-related diseases.

All units in the organization share information concerning the clients' needs and medical challenges to support our day-to-day research activities.

Our researchers listen carefully to opinions from the clinical environment, and emphasize the importance of R&D that is in tune with clinical needs. In line with this activity, our junior researchers conduct fieldwork at medical institutions to support medical representatives, which represents an on-the-job training program that enables the junior researchers to feel and experience clinical realities. The experience that our researchers gain in this way contributes to research that creates outcomes useful to society.

Information concerning the clients' needs and medical challenges are stored in the company’s specially developed databank called TIS (Timely Information Service), which enables the information to be shared by all units in the organization. This sharing of information lends further support to our day-to-day research activities.

Cooperation between the R&D and marketing functions to create human-friendly medicines

Our distinctive approach concerning the application of clinical needs to research and development has also been applied to our generic products that have high added value. For instance, Argamate Jelly, used in the treatment of hyperpotassemia, was developed by changing the formulation to jelly from the one that was inconvenient to use. The product now dominates the market.

This typical success story has come about through the mutual cooperation between R&D and Marketing to produce human-friendly medicines.

Anti-diabetic products are gaining momentum in their global expansion through the signing of licensing agreements with local and foreign companies.

SK-0403 is an anti-diabetic medicine that was created and is now being developed by Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho. Three licensing agreements have been signed with domestic and foreign companies to expedite the development process and to improve its efficiency. These contracts will help us establish a global foundation for developing SK-0403, and will expedite the availability of the product to patients. Unlike conventional anti-diabetic medicines, SK-0403 works only when the level of blood glucose is high, so it is expected that the product will be less associated with hypoglycemia.

Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho is committed to the development of pharmaceutical products that have improved formulations and drug delivery systems to address the unmet needs of healthcare professionals in the therapeutic areas of diabetes and diabetes-related diseases. Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho also rises to the challenge of its mission to create drugs that have unique properties and excellent safety profiles.