Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma (DSP) opened a new chemistry research building in Osaka, Japan, in June 2013. The research facility is located within Sumitomo Chemical’s plant at Osaka research centre in Japan.
The facility helps in improving the efficiency of DSP’s operations in research and development, ranging from drug target discovery to applications for manufacturing and marketing approval.
DSP invested about ¥6.4bn ($64m) for the construction of the new building.
Details of DSP’s R&D facility in Osaka
The new building has eight floors above the ground. It has a total building area of 2,463m² and total floor space of 16,322m². It has laboratories meant for drug discovery, process chemistry and analytical research and development. It will enhance DSP to promote efficient research and development, and facilitate the creation of highly innovative drugs for unmet medical needs.
The facility will carry out drug research on the central nervous system (CNS) as a focus therapeutic area, and cancer and immune-related diseases as challenge therapeutic areas.
The new building will combine the work of the drug discovery division and the technology research and development division. The work in these two divisions is distributed to Osaka research centre in Osaka, and central research laboratories in Suita City.
The research building will optimise chemistry research-related departments assigned to drug discovery research. DSP will be able to focus on improving the efficiency of the series of operations in research and development of drug target discovery and quality management of investigational new drugs through the facility.
Facilities at Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma’s research building
The new facility of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma has meeting spaces located on each floor, which enables active communication for the creative research environment for developing highly originated drugs. It is also equipped with video conference rooms for carrying out communication with other research sites worldwide. It also features a stringent security system for chemical reagent storage.
Construction of the Osaka-based pharma building
Ground was broken for the new chemistry research building’s construction in January 2012. The construction was completed in June 2013. The operations are scheduled to begin in July 2013.
The 40m tall building was constructed with a seismic isolation structure to withstand damage caused by earthquakes and liquefaction. It was constructed using foundation improvement methods.
Drugs developed by Japan’s DSP
The key drug products developed and produced by Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma include ephedrine indicated for the treatment of bronchial asthma, Gasmotin, a gastroprokinetic agent and Lonasen, which is used for the treatment of schizophrenia. The new Osaka research facility will further help boosting pharmaceutical research of DSP.
Sustainability of the chemistry research facility
The building was constructed in compliance with environment-friendly methods. It features airflow fume hoods and is installed with solar panels and energy efficient air conditioning and lighting systems. The building is designed to make the best use of natural light.
Marketing commentary for the Japanese company
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma is a leading international pharmaceuticals company with its head offices located in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan.
The company is engaged in the production, sales and import and export of pharmaceuticals, food additives, veterinary products, diagnostic agents and research materials.
It has more than 7,218 employees with two distribution centres and four manufacturing plants located in Japan.
Its subsidiaries include Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Boston Biomedical and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Europe.
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