Newsletter Volume 41, Number 2, 2026
Introduction
The year 2026 is packed with major international sporting events, including the Winter Olympics, the World Baseball Classic, and the FIFA World Cup. The fact that the Japanese team won the most medals in Winter Olympic history on the snow and ice of the Milan-Cortina Olympics held in February served as a great source of inspiration for many researchers. Behind the scenes, attention is once again being drawn to the fact that, in addition to the individual efforts of the athletes, science and technology are supporting their competitive performance.In moguls skiing, reports indicate that skis developed by a Japanese company were chosen by the world’s top athletes and played a key role in their medal wins, underscoring how Japan’s manufacturing expertise and scientific approach are being recognized on the world’s highest stage. Drug discovery research, particularly pharmacokinetics, is similarly a field where the “foundational strength”—the invisible factors that determine success—is put to the test.In this issue, we provide a fundamental overview of the pharmacokinetics of modified antibodies—a new modality—and introduce how MPS, a cutting-edge research platform, is advancing drug discovery and development. With the expectation that Japan’s technological prowess and the challenges undertaken by its researchers will give rise to the next standard, we invite you to explore this special feature.
Pharmacokinetics of Engineered Antibodies
Part 3: Recycling antibody and sweeping antibody
DMPKG, Discovery Biologics Department, Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., LTD.
Kenta Haraya
The third installment of our series on the pharmacokinetics of modified antibodies—topics you might be too embarrassed to ask about now—will introduce recycling antibodies and sweeping antibodies, including their pharmacokinetic studies.As mentioned in Part 1, antibody pharmacokinetics can be influenced by the target antigen, sometimes exhibiting nonlinear clearance known as target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD). A prime example of an antibody exhibiting TMDD is tocilizumab, Japan’s first antibody-based drug.Tocilizumab is an antibody against the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor and is approved for use in multiple diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed that tocilizumab, after binding to the IL-6 receptor, is internalized into cells, transported via endosomes to lysosomes, and degraded there.Consequently, at low doses, the drug clears rapidly from the plasma; however, as the dose increases, the IL-6 receptor becomes saturated, and clearance slows. In other words, since tocilizumab can bind to the IL-6 receptor only once, an antibody dose equal to or greater than the receptor concentration is required. … (To be continued on the NL homepage / Members Only)
Microphysiological Systems – The Latest Research Platform Supporting Drug Discovery and Development
Part 3： Challenges and Opportunities in Microphysiological Systems
Translational & Biomedical Science, Astellas Pharma Inc.
Mayu Shibuta
Hello, everyone! In this series, “The Latest Research Infrastructure Supporting Drug Discovery and Development,” we are covering microphysiological systems (MPS) over three installments. In the first installment, we discussed the definition and characteristics of MPS, and in the second, we introduced examples of their application in drug discovery research (if you haven’t read them yet, please be sure to check out the previous articles).In this final installment, we will introduce the main challenges encountered when utilizing MPS and the latest approaches to addressing them. Obtaining appropriate readouts to detect drug effects, establishing highly reproducible assessment systems, and improving throughput are critical factors in incorporating MPS into drug discovery research. We hope that learning about these challenges and examples of initiatives will help our readers effectively integrate MPS into their own research. … (To be continued on the NL homepage / Members Only)