[Role of pharmaceutical company pharmacist in provision of drug information for cancer chemotherapy].

Recently, oxaliplatin(L-OHP)and irinotecan hydrochloride hydrate(CPT-11)have gained recognition as key drugs in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. In this article, we describe the results of a survey of medical institutions by pharmacists working at a pharmaceutical company. First, questions from medical institutions on L-OHP and CPT-11 were totaled and analyzed. The results showed that most of these questions concerned safety, with many of these addressing side effects. Next, a questionnaire on FOLFOX and FOLFIRI regimens was administered to medical institutions. The results indicated that staff are interested in the safety and critical path of these regimens. These results suggest that a lot of medical institutions require more information from pharmaceutical companies. This indicates that pharmacists should do more to take the needs of medical institutions into account in providing improved customer support.

[What happened during these 12 years since CPT-11 was launched in Japan ?].

CPT-11 (irinotecan hydrochloride, trade name: Campto or Topotecin) was launched in 1994. L-OHP (oxaliplatin, trade name: Elplat) was approved based on the fast track evaluation system and launched in 2005. Originally, both of these drugs were synthesized in Japan. Just after the launch of CPT-11, the severity of its toxicity was reported more frequently than its efficacy, therefore it spent much time to spread the use of this drug. As for L-OHP, the approved regimen is FOLFOX in spite the regimen was not actually studied in its registration studies in Japan. However, L-OHP is widely used after its launch. Thus, we find a progress in terms of regulatory system to introduce the widely accepted standard chemotherapy to the Japanese practice sites rapidly. We also find a further understanding for cancer chemotherapy in Japanese society. Recently, mass media reported cancer patients who were eager to receive the standard chemotherapy and requesting the regulatory authorities its quick approval. We have never seen such a scene 10 years ago. These patients' activities could be a key factor to change the infrastructure of cancer therapy.

[Development of L-OHP (trade name; Elplat)].

L-OHP (INN: oxaliplatin) was created in 1976 by Dr. Kidani. The experimental tumor models showed its antitumor activities, however, clinical investigations were not conducted in Japan. It was licensed to Debiopharm in Switzerland, and obtained the marketing authorization with the indication of colorectal cancer in France in 1996, and in the USA in 2002. The marketing authorization was given with the same indication in Japan in March, 2005. L-OHP is now widely used in the world as one of the key agents for treatments of colorectal cancers like 5-FU and CPT-11.