Drug Discoveries In Japan: Investigating The Sources Of Innovations
by Sadao Nagaoka /
2019 / English / PDF, EPUB
16.7 MB Download
This book analysed drug discovery process in Japan, based on detailed case studies of 12 groups of 15 innovative drugs. It covers the first statin in the world up to the recent major breakthrough in cancer therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor, the scientific discovery for which a 2018 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded. The book showed pervasive high uncertainty in drug discovery: frequent occurrences of unexpected difficulties, discontinuations, serendipities and good lucks, significantly because drug discovery starts when the underlying science is incomplete. Thus, there exist dynamic interactions between scientific progress and drug discovery. High uncertainty also makes the value of an entrepreneurial scientist high. Such scientist files the knowledge gaps, by absorbing external scientific progress and by relentless pursuit of possibilities through own research, often including unauthorized research, to overcome the crises. Further, high uncertainty and its resolution significantly characterizes the evolution of competition in drug industry. Patent system promotes innovation under high uncertainty not only by enhancing appropriability of such R&D investment but also by facilitating the combination of knowledge and capabilities between different firms through disclosure. Understanding such process would significantly benefit making of innovation management and policy practices.
