1．Overview, Hypothesis-Directed Studies and International Collaborations

Abstract

　The Pharmacovigilance Symposium at the 38^th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology (JSOT) marked another interesting exchange between scientists and physicians working in all aspects of safety science to better understand, predict and ultimately manage the safety risks to patients associated with pharmaceutical products. I would like here to offer some observations on the presentations contributed by our excellent speakers as well as highlight some ongoing international collaborations that aim to improve our work in safety science and a heuristic approach to interpreting the results of nonclinical safety studies which I have found useful as a clinical scientist.