Pediatric Drug Development in Japan: A Comparison of the Current Situation and Characteristics Between Japan and Europe

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Pediatric Drug Development in Japan: A Comparison of the Current Situation and Characteristics Between Japan and Europe Eiji Ueyama, MS1,2   · Masayuki Kaneko, PhD1 · Mamoru Narukawa, PhD1 Received: 25 January 2020 / Accepted: 19 February 2020 / Published online: 4 March 2020 © The Drug Information Association, Inc 2020

Abstract Background  In contrast to the European Union and the USA, no laws or regulations mandating pediatric drug development have been established in Japan. Based on the information on drugs approved for pediatric indications in Europe and Japan, we evaluated the recent status of pediatric drug approvals and their characteristics in Japan in comparison with those of Europe. Methods  Drugs approved for pediatric indications between 2007 and 2015 in both regions were included in the study. The proportion of drugs with pediatric indications was calculated by the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification, and the status of pediatric formulation development was examined. The time from adult to pediatric indication approval was determined. Results  A total of 135 drugs were approved for pediatric indications in Europe, with 208 approved in Japan. The proportion of drugs with pediatric indications in Japan among those approved for pediatric indications in Europe was lower among those with ATC classifications of N (Nervous system) and J (Antiinfectives for systemic use) and those with the development of pediatric formulations than among others. Excepting drugs for which adult and pediatric indications were simultaneously approved, the most commonly observed period from the adult indication approval to the pediatric indication approval was more than 12 years in Japan and 3–6 years in Europe. Conclusion  The present findings suggested that pediatric development is indeed being promoted in Japan. However, the period from adult to pediatric indication approval was longer in Japan than in Europe, and the development of pediatric drugs for certain diseases has been sluggish, indicating room for further improvement. Keywords  Pediatric drug development · Regulatory science · Development strategy · Legislation · Incentive

Introduction Drugs intended for use in children should have their safety and efficacy in the pediatric population appropriately evaluated before their introduction into clinical practice. However, in routine medical practice, pediatric patients are commonly administered therapies that have not been tested in such young patients, receiving drugs designed and developed for adults in ‘reduced doses’ (i.e., adjusting dosage by utilizing methods such as allometric scaling based on body weight) * Eiji Ueyama [email protected] 1



Department of Clinical Medicine (Pharmaceutical Medicine), Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5‑9‑1 Shirokane, Minato‑ku, Tokyo 108‑8641, Japan



Development, Astellas Pharma Inc, Tokyo, Japan

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