Abstract
Sumitomo-Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. is a research and development （R&D）-based pharmaceutical company that has been established in October 2005 by the merger of former Dainippon Pharmaceuticals and former Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals. It has grown into a global company with sales of approximately 500 billion yen. One of three research focus areas aiming to become global leader in our Mid-Term Business Plan 2022, “Psychiatry and Neurology” is known as an area where new drug development is difficult, and many companies have withdrawn. However, we have launched a number of new drugs, and our long-term R&D experience is a great strength of our company, so we are energetically conducting drug discovery research to create innovative new drugs in this area which have high unmet medical needs. This column introduces our drug discovery research strategy, organization, measures such as research project system, application of cutting-edge technologies, and open innovation initiatives, centering on our Drug Research Division （RD） in charge of drug discovery research in the field of Psychiatry and Neurology.
