Maruho's R&D operation is aimed at creating preparations for the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders, and medications for topical application in the form of ointments and patches, or, to use a blanket term, dermatology-related medications.
Kyoto has been the cradle of many R&D firms in the field of leading-edge science and technology. Our Kyoto R&D Center is located in Kyoto Research Park, which offers an ideal environment in which to continue the region's tradition of creativity. The Center is a unique R&D institution specializing in dermatology, and what is more, we have built a unique system enabling all our R&D activities - from developing new pharmaceutical technologies, through applying for licenses for new drugs, to launching new products on the market - under one roof. This system facilitates inter-departmental coordination and makes our R&D even more efficient.
Maruho has clocked up an impressive track-record and earned a high reputation on Japan's market for topical medications. Determined to carve out a unique niche for ourselves as a pharmaceutical manufacturer well-versed in dermatology-related medications, we are committed to continue devoting our energies to creating new drugs through the optimization of topical versions of existing and newly-developed products, thereby amassing skill and expertise throughout the general field of dermatology, and building our topical medication brand.
Maruho's R&D has focused on drug development, and has enhanced our drug-development technology. What we think of as "drug development" is the development of topical medications, and what we mean by "drug-development technology" is technology essential for manufacturing and evaluating drugs.
Over its long history, Maruho has developed techniques and expertise in physicochemical fields (such as emulsification techniques) and biochemical fields (such as techniques for evaluating the efficacy of drugs, their irritating properties and so on). Using these techniques and expertise as a platform for technological collaboration, we are leveraging our specialist dermatological knowledge to develop a proprietary drug discovery program. In other words, we are aiming to make the transition from drug development to drug discovery.
