Otsuka’s drug discovery research began in 1971 with only 14 scientists who had the idea of addressing the world’s unmet medical needs by investing in therapeutic areas that were underserved by other pharmaceutical companies. In Australia, we focus on three therapeutic areas:

• CNS Disorders
• Nephrology
• Heamatology/oncology

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) DISORDERS

Otsuka’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for central nervous system (CNS) disorders began more than 30 years ago when our researchers took the first steps in the creation of a drug that would eventually provide a new treatment option for people living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Today, we are also focusing our energy on other important areas that include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, autism, and major depressive disorder (MDD).

Otsuka is working in a long-term alliance with Lundbeck, a Danish pharmaceutical company that also has extensive experience in developing drugs for mental health disorders. While creating new products, we put emphasis on creating robust evidence to show that any new drugs offer an improvement on others and are beneficial to improving patient outcomes.

Otsuka strives to be innovative when it comes to educating the stakeholders in the management of mental health disorders. We like to use the phrase ‘beyond the pill’, meaning that we see medication as being just one part of the total care package that we offer to help people cope with the debilitating effects of mental health disorders.

NEPHROLOGY

Otsuka has always had a philosophy of developing and delivering drugs for diseases where there is an unmet medical need. In Nephrology (the medical speciality that concentrates on kidneys), that philosophy is particularly apt. Our main focus in this area is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), an inherited disease in which fluid-filled cysts grow in the kidneys, impairing kidney function and often eventually resulting in kidney failure. Otsuka developed the first disease modifying medication for ADPKD. For more information on ADPKD, visit our Patient Support section.

Otsuka is also developing new treatments for renal anaemia, in partnership with biopharmaceutical company Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the progressive loss of kidney function leads to the kidneys being less able to produce erythropoietin (a hormone that helps stimulate the production of red blood cells in response to lower oxygen levels), and this results in anaemia. In CKD, anaemia is associated with increased risks of mortality and cardiac complications, and decreased quality of life.

Otsuka is committed to delivering new treatments through extensive research and development in a number of therapeutic areas.

HAEMATOLOGY / ONCOLOGY

Cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of all diseases, with new and innovative treatment options eagerly awaited around the world. At Otsuka, we are committed to delivering medications that can improve the lives of people with cancer. A strong portfolio of pipeline products and research programs is being constructed in areas including haematological, breast, colon, gastric, lung and pancreatic cancers.

One key area of our attention is the development of therapies for haematological malignancies (also known as blood cancers). Within these, we are researching a rare group of bone marrow failure disorders including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). All of our research endeavours are being undertaken to improve the wellbeing of patients worldwide, and realizing our vision of a society enriched by happier and healthier people. Continuing our century-year long tradition in developing innovative products, Otsuka will continue taking on the challenge of researching and developing unique new medications.