Ethical Pharmaceutical Business
Mainstay Products
Leading the Onychomycosis Market in
Both Topical and Oral Treatments
NAILIN Capsules and LUCONAC Solution
Our pharmaceuticals business is driven by drugs related to the treatment of onychomycosis in the dermatology field. In 2016, Sato launched a topical onychomycosis treatment, LUCONAC Solution 5%, and in 2018, NAILIN Capsules 100mg, an oral onychomycosis treatment. Further, we have obtained the approval for LUCONAC in Singapore and have begun sales, and are currently expanding globally. As the only pharmaceutical company in Japan with both topical and oral formulations, Sato will continue to lead the market for onychomycosis treatments.
Taking Top Share in the External
Topical Anesthetic Market
EMLA Series
In 2012, Sato launched EMLA Cream, Japan’s first effective topical anesthetic pain-reduction therapy for dermatological laser radiation treatment. In 2015, application was expanded for relief of pain during injections and puncture of intravenous indwelling needle. In 2017, the EMLA Patch, a one-touch procedure, was launched as an additional dosage form. In 2018, EMLA took the top share in the domestic external anesthetic market (based on NHI price) in Japan, and has maintained this position every year since then.
Contributing to Patients’ QOL with
a Highly Original Product Line
PASTARON DALACIN Series
PATCH TEST PANEL
Sato Pharmaceutical is also developing other unique products, primarily in the field of dermatology. PASTARON, a urea preparation, has been expanded to include a variety of products, and has been in use in the medical field for many years. We also address a wide range of needs in the medical field with products including the DALACIN series, an acne remedy, and PATCH TEST PANEL (S), a diagnostic agent for allergic dermatitis, contributing to improving patients’ quality of life.
Marketing
-
Efforts as a Leading Company in Onychomycosis, and Promotional and Educational Activities
Sato Pharmaceutical is the pharmaceutical companythatoffersbothoraland topical formulations for the treatment of onychomycosis—NAILIN and LUCONAC. We hold a variety of lectures and provide a wide range of information utilizing digital media. We will continue to strive to get more patients to seek medical attention and have a complete cure for this nail fungus condition.
-
Creating Sato Pharmaceutical’s Unique Web Seminars
We offer Sato Derma Online (SDO) as a platform for distributing Sato Pharmaceutical’s unique web seminars.
We distribute useful information to dermatologists, primarily related to onychomycosis, to approximately 5,000 physicians registered as of October 2023. About five seminars are held each month, each of them viewed by between about 200 to 300 doctors. -
Educational Activities for Patients
Using Various ChannelsSato Pharmaceutical conducts disease awareness activities for onychomycosis through newspaper ads and our own website about the disease. In addition to disseminating information across Japan, we are working to promote a correct understanding of foot and nail diseases by carrying out activities tailored to the needs of each area. We will continue to promote such activities to get more patients to visit medical institutions for a diagnosis and get a complete cure to improve their quality of life.
Research and Development
Cutting-edge Efforts Aimed at Creating New Drugs
The Shinagawa R&D Center, located in Shinagawa-ku,
Tokyo, comprises several facilities, including the New Research Wing and the Formulation Research Wing. In the Center,
four departments—the Research Planning Office, the Drug Discovery Research Department (comprising the Lifestyle
Research Section and Synthesis Research Section), the Pharmaceutical Research Department
(comprising the Pharmacological Research Section and Pharmacokinetic Research Section) and the Formulation Research Department
(comprising the Formulation Research Section, Analytical Research Section, and Cosmetics R&D Section)—conduct
research aimed at creating new drugs.
Utilizing Cutting-edge Technologies to Quickly
Respond to the Need for New Drugs That the Times Demand
The Shinagawa R&D Center conducts the research and development activities needed to produce Sato’s pharmaceuticals, OTC drugs, quasi-drugs, cosmetics, and foods for specified health uses. The R&D Center pursues research into high value-addition products that are always based on the needs of consumers. Currently, it focuses on five main themes: ocular disease, wound healing, antifungal agents, sarcopenia, and research on natural remedies. We are recruiting both experienced mid-career hires and young researchers to further strengthen our drug formulation capabilities, and active research is underway to meet the needs of the medical field, including new compound synthesis, biological screening, and pharmacological and pharmacokinetic assessment. In addition, to speed up development of synthesis research, which is the foundation for low-molecular-weight synthetic drug formulation, a new Synthesis Research Wing, equipped with leadingedge equipment, is under construction. This new facility will provide a safe and pleasant environment in which researchers can engage in research, with ample workspace per researcher, which we believe will greatly improve their research efficiency.
-
New Drug Development Status (Japan)
Development code Treatment Active ingredient Development stage SKN-15 Viral skin disease New active
ingredients
(license in)Phase II clinical
studySKE-18 Inflammatory skin
disorderNew dosage and
indications
(license in)Phase I clinical
studySKA-19 Inflammatory skin
disorderNew active
ingredients
(license in)Clinical study
Preparations
underway -
Table 2: Status of products developed internally
Disease area Research status Research content Ocular
diseaseNon-clinical development
researchMedical eye drop agent R&D Wound
healingDrug candidate selection New wound healing medicine R&D Antifungal
agentsLead compound
optimizationNew antifungal agent R&D Sarcopenia Drug target identification Using disease model research to explore
new drug targetsNatural
remedy
researchEvaluation of natural
remedies for possible use
in YUNKER productsResearch on the physiological response
mechanisms of natural remedies, and
exploration of possible applications