Takuma Okawa (1st year, Ph.D. program, Major in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences *at the time)

I am usually engaged in basic research in immunology, and I felt that I was far removed from drug development and regulatory science. However, through this program, I became convinced that it is a valuable experience for basic researchers as well. In this article, as a basic researcher with little familiarity with regulatory science, I will describe the knowledge I gained from the program and my future prospects.   

This program was the first training since the COVID-19 pandemic and the first training in Europe. The destinations were two countries: Copenhagen, Denmark, and Geneva, Switzerland. In Copenhagen, we visited the Danish Medicines Agency, an institution that manages the biobank system, two pharmaceutical companies, and a university. In Geneva, we also visited global organizations such as the WHO and the United Nations.   

Through the knowledge and experience gained at each visit, I was able to gain a broad understanding of drug development, drug supervision, corporate activities, and the role of international organizations. This training provided an opportunity to learn comprehensively about the global situation and develop perspectives that would not be possible in my normal research life. For example, I gained insights into the current status and challenges of biobanks, which are fundamental institutions supporting research, and the perspective of how to manage drugs that have received marketing authorization following research and development at medicines agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and the WHO.   

Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Urushihara and Professor Hara who accompanied me on the training, Professor Ohe who gave the pre-lecture, and Professor Foster who made great efforts in preparing for the on-site presentation.