International Research and Development Section

International Research and Development Section plans and implements international joint clinical research led by NCCH with an emphasis on Asia, thereby solving issues in Asia and promoting cancer treatment development throughout Asia.

Specifically, the MASTER KEY project will be expanded to the ASEAN countries (MASTER KEY Asia) to collect and accumulate medical information and genome information from Asian countries, and to clarify the current status of cancer treatment and the background of the diseases specific to each region. In parallel, multinational clinical trials are to be conducted to increase the number of treatment options in Japan and other Asian countries and to improve the standard of medical care.

These activities require cooperation with a number of stakeholders, and we will aim for international therapeutic development while sharing differences in needs and issues between regions by utilizing the know-how of each industry, academia, government, and private sector.

In addition to research development, we also provide comprehensive support to facilitate the smooth implementation of international investigator-initiated clinical trials led by the National Cancer Center Hospital.

Our department has an established framework to support a wide range of international clinical research activities, including multiregional observational studies, specified clinical research, investigator-initiated trials involving unapproved drugs or medical devices, and contract negotiations with overseas companies when using investigational products developed abroad. Through these efforts, we aim to promote efficient and globally harmonized clinical research in collaboration with international partners.