Sharing my know-how gained in the United States with Japan

I am currently responsible for leading open innovation in drug discovery research in our Research Division. Until last year, I was based at our head office, in charge of establishing Chugai's first corporate venture capital firm, Chugai Venture Fund, LCC [CVF]. Having achieved that, I have now transferred to a research laboratory to promote collaboration between CVF and Chugai's Research Division. CVF was established in the United States as Japan's open innovation environment is less developed. I hope at some point to share in Japan the know-how that I gained through CVF in the US, with the aim of creating a virtuous cycle for all drug discovery players, including academic institutions, startups, venture capital firms, and pharmaceutical companies

When in doubt, I can rely on my core beliefs

It took about two years from the proposal to establish CVF, but I originally joined Chugai as a researcher. After obtaining my degree, I applied for a drug discovery research position at Chugai, hoping to apply my expertise to benefit society. My wish was granted, and I started my career in research but, in my second year, just as I was getting used to corporate life, I was dispatched to Kyoto University and spent the next three years there. In addition to daily trials and experiments as a researcher, I encountered some difficulties, such as reconciling the interests of Chugai with those of the university. Nevertheless, I found it interesting to think through and implement solutions to individual problems as a representative of Chugai Pharmaceutical. I believe this early career experience of being exposed to the differences in thinking between companies and universities provided a good opportunity to consider the societal application of science and technology from a broader perspective.

After returning to Chugai, I was involved in in-house drug discovery projects. When the project I was working on was out-licensed ahead of schedule to Genentech in the US, I was transferred to the US to promote the project. Although I had to once again address various issues as a representative of Chugai, I found it less stressful as I had already formed the core of my beliefs through my previous assignment outside of the company. When trying to move forward with projects outside of your own organization,

difficulties and problems tend to arise when there are intersecting interests. These must be resolved mostly on one's own, but focusing only on what's nearby can lead to losing sight of the direction one should take. Through these two external assignments, when in doubt of paths to take, I've come to act based on the criterion of what's best for contributing to patients worldwide and the development of science and technology in Japan.

Goals that are not constrained by a framework

The goal of contributing to patients worldwide and the development of science and technology in Japan should not deviate significantly from the goals of any given department at Chugai, although there may be differences in perspective. The establishment of CVF, where I was involved at the head office-level, is an example of one approach to adopting a different perspective to achieve a goal. Looking back, Chugai has given me opportunities to approach subjects from various perspectives. During my time at the head office, I was fortunate to attend business school as part of my training, which provided an opportunity to consider social contribution from an even higher perspective.

In working towards a universal goal that can be approached from any and every perspective, there may sometimes be a need for discussions that are outside the bounds of a Chugai framework. However, I believe that, ultimately, this will lead to the achievement of Chugai's TOP I 2030. When I look beyond TOP I 2030, I hope to continue on my career path with a focus on patients and society.