PAREXEL and Meiji Pharmaceutical University Announce Academic Program to Develop Japan’s Biopharmaceutical Workforce

BOSTON, TOKYO, April 9, 2018 – PAREXEL International Corporation, a biopharmaceutical services provider, and Meiji Pharmaceutical University (MPU), a private pharmacy and science university, announced a new Joint Program for Clinical Research and Clinical Trial Management for undergraduate students. The academic program will offer MPU students an accredited, four-week course designed to prepare them for careers in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Designed to meet the growing demands of biopharmaceutical companies conducting clinical research both inside and outside of Japan, the collaborative program combines PAREXEL’s global clinical research expertise with MPU’s established pharmaceutical training experience. All classes will be conducted in English from PAREXEL Academy lecturers and are consistent with current global clinical trial standards and practices. Following a series of two-week pilot programs, the first official program will be offered in November 2019. In addition, select MPU students may be eligible for enrollment at the PAREXEL Academy in Berlin in the future.

“Pharmaceutical research and development expenditures in Japan have nearly doubled since 2000[1]. With the number of Japanese students going overseas for education on the decline, this creates an opportunity for the younger generation to play an active role in clinical research,” said Shogo Nakamori, Corporate Vice President, Asia-Pacific and General Manager, PAREXEL Japan. “This program will leverage PAREXEL’s expertise and MPU’s strong educational foundation to ensure students receive the necessary training to succeed in the global pharmaceutical industry of the future.”

“One of our educational goals is to cultivate internationally accepted pharmacists who are both well-trained and compassionate,” said Keitaro Ishii, President of Meiji Pharmaceutical University. “We go beyond preparing students for their required national exams to help them cultivate their interests in a variety of clinical fields. This program provides students the valuable opportunity to learn English while studying the practical operations needed for a career in clinical research.”

For more than a decade, the PAREXEL Academy has designed and implemented a wide range of learning programs in clinical research for students in Asia, Europe, and the United States. PAREXEL’s collaboration with MPU is the company’s second academic program in Japan, following PAREXEL’s first program with Kyoto Pharmaceutical University which launched in early 2016. Since PAREXEL Academy’s inception, approximately 5,000 students have graduated from its programs.  

PAREXEL established operations in Japan in 1995 and has more than 1,300 employees based in Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka.  The Company provides clinical research services, consulting and technology offerings to biopharmaceutical companies. 

About PAREXEL International 

PAREXEL International Corporation is the world’s leading innovator of biopharmaceutical services. We simplify our clients’ journey of transforming scientific discoveries into new medical treatments for patients with high-quality Phase I-IV clinical research, regulatory, consulting and market access services. PAREXEL develops breakthrough innovations and solutions by leveraging its comprehensive therapeutic, technical and functional expertise, in more than 100 countries around the world. For more information visit www.PAREXEL.com.

PAREXEL and PAREXEL Informatics are trademarks or registered trademarks of PAREXEL International Corporation or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Meiji Pharmaceutical University

Meiji Pharmaceutical University (MPU) established the Department of Pharmacy (6 year course) and the Department of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (4 year course) to respond to the recent rapid change of the healthcare environment, in which medical techniques have been highly progressive and the skills of professional pharmacists has improved. The educational goal of the Department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is to educate high-quality pharmacists who can meet the needs of society for the safe use of pharmaceutical products and for the advancements of medical technology. New graduates of the university have maintained a high success rate in the National Exam for Pharmacists. In addition, with a consistently high job placement rate, the university is high in the ranks of the top pharmaceutical schools in Japan. MPU offers a unique training program comprised of seven courses, which aims to cultivate advanced professional skills, define the students’ career paths, and enable them to use these skills in the pharmaceutical profession. As the flagship university, MPU is committed to leading pharmacy education and holding the responsibility to train highly professional leaders in various fields of health care and pharmacy, including distinguished pharmacists, researchers or experts of drug discovery and life sciences. http://www.my-pharm.ac.jp/.

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PAREXEL Contact:

Wendy Ryan (U.S.)
Tel.: +1 781-434-5104
Email: Wendy.Ryan@PAREXEL.com   

Satoko Okubo (Japan)
Tel.: +81-3-3537-5090
Email: Satoko.Okubo@PAREXEL.com

Meiji Pharmaceutical University Contact: 

Hiroshi Goto
Public Relations, General Affairs Department,
Tel.: +81-42-495-8615
Email: Hiro@My-pharm.ac.jp

[1] JPMA Data Book 2017; “Report on the Survey of Research and Development,” Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications