[No. 66] Tetsuro Tamai

Currently at the Drug Discovery Office, Central Research Laboratories, Kissei Pharmaceutical

It was in the autumn of my second year at Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., that I received a call from Professor Kuniaki Tatsuta asking if I would like to return to the university. Our company, headquartered in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, is a mid-sized pharmaceutical company, but even back then, it held a distinctive and unique position in the pharmaceutical industry. It's true that I considered the company for employment because my family home is in Nagano Prefecture, but it was a carefully considered decision born from a desire to take on the challenge of creating new drugs from a perspective different from that of major pharmaceutical companies—something that major companies couldn't do. As I had hoped, I was assigned to the drug discovery research department and was involved in research on new anti-allergy drugs in a favorable environment. On the other hand, at that time, I had great confidence in the organic synthesis techniques I had learned under Professor Mitsuhiro Kinoshita, and I prioritized improving my skills as a synthesis researcher over acquiring knowledge in medical sciences and pharmacology as a drug discovery researcher. The timing was right, as I had just reached a milestone in my research theme, so I jumped at the professor's invitation. Fortunately, I received the company's understanding and was able to enroll in the Ph.D. program, taking a leave of absence while retaining my position at the company.

Just as in my master's program, I worked tirelessly on the novel total synthesis of antibiotics in the Doctoral Programs under the strict guidance of Professor Tatsuta, from morning until late at night, forgetting to even take breaks. However, like a bolt from the blue, Professor Tatsuta suddenly left Keio University in the summer of my second year, and for a while, I struggled with my motivation for being in the Doctoral Programs. I needed time to deeply re-examine for myself the meaning of returning to the university, going so far as to take a leave of absence from the company I had joined with a passion for new drug discovery research. Although I was not able to obtain my degree within the three years of this program, I received support from many people, including Professor Emeritus Mitsuhiro Kinoshita, Professor Masaya Nakata who took over the laboratory, and Professors Kin-ichi Tadano and Kazunobu Toshima. This allowed me to gain not just technical skills and knowledge, but also invaluable lessons on how to be a researcher, a corporate professional, and a member of society. My encounters with Associate Professor Ken-ichi Takao, who recommended me to write this article, and many others have also led me to where I am today.

In the spring of 1993, I returned to work at the newly established Kissei Pharmaceutical Central Research Laboratories in Hotaka-machi (now Azumino City), Nagano Prefecture, where I engaged in research on adrenergic receptors. While working hard to solidify my foundation as a drug discovery researcher, I was also blessed with a great research theme, colleagues, and collaborations with external medical institutions, which led to the successful creation of a new drug in the urogenital field. Currently, these products are in the late stages of clinical development, and the entire company is working together on development research to deliver them to patients as soon as possible.

It was in the spring of 2004 that I transferred to the planning department. Although I had my doubts, I was grateful for the recommendation from a superior I respected and jumped into a new world to broaden my perspective on pharmaceutical company activities beyond drug discovery research. Just then, a construction project for a new research facility for manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients, which would enhance our company's value, came up, and I became involved in its management. Starting with liaising and coordinating with local government agencies in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, a step away from our home ground in Nagano Prefecture, I gained valuable experience working with external parties such as design, engineering, and construction companies—experiences I would not have encountered in the Research Centers and Institutes. In the process of consolidating and utilizing a wide variety of internal and external resources toward the single goal of launching the new research facility, I finally became conscious of so-called project management.

In the spring of 2007, after seeing the new research facility become operational, I returned to the drug discovery research department in a managerial position. I was full of anxiety due to the three-year gap, but I took on the new role with a focus on utilizing project management and, additionally, taking on the challenge of human resource development. I spend my days contemplating and striving to develop our personnel into valuable human resources—individuals who can broaden their global perspective, improve their qualities, achieve the creation of truly needed medicines, contribute to patients suffering from illnesses, and further contribute to the local community as members of society.

In small, rural municipalities like my hometown, the aging population and outflow of human resources are accelerating. Even though the center of Japan's economic development is in metropolitan areas like Tokyo, it is the regional areas that support the nation's land, which is the foundation. For example, communication infrastructure, transportation networks, power grids, and water resources cannot be maintained simply as lines; they need to be conserved as areas, much like forestry and flood control. It is the regional areas that bear these responsibilities. If the regional areas decline, Japan cannot sustain itself. I recognize that our role is to foster attractive companies and human resources full of smiles, revitalize the community, and pass it on to the next generation.

Although I won't go into detail, during my undergraduate years, I was a member of the Keio University Wagner Society Male Choir. I fondly recall creating harmony with friends from across all faculties, enjoying ourselves and sometimes struggling as we pushed each other to improve. Even now, we occasionally keep in touch, and I am grateful for the profound depth of Keio University.

I would be delighted if this humble article resonates even slightly with prospective students and current members of Keio University.