Embracing the Challenge of Societal “Issues”: A Young Challenger Looks Beyond the Walls
※ From the left: Kentaro Morimoto, DX Promotion Division; Kazuma Maeda, Research Division; Keita Tanaka, Integrated Disease Care Division; Masayuki Kobayashi, DX Promotion Division (On the TV); Yuki Nishimura, Hiroki Chinen, Tatsuya Yanagawa, All three belong to the Integrated Disease Care Division
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“Challenging Dementia through Sound” – this innovative slogan drives one employee who tirelessly works alongside the team. Meet Tatsuya Yanagawa, a Group Manager in the New Business Promotion Department at SHIONOGI. What fuels his set goals and unyielding spirit of challenge? Let us delve into his story, including his aspirations for new ventures.
Pursuit of New Technologies for Addressing the Societal Issue of Dementia
Dementia, a disorder characterized by impairments in cognitive functions, such as memory, learning, language, and judgment, significantly diminishes patients’ quality of life. With the expected increase in the aging population domestically, an anticipated rise is also observed in dementia cases, calling for new treatment methods and care approaches. In response to this societal issue, SHIONOGI and Pixie Dust Technologies (PxDT) have been endeavoring since 2021 to develop a novel initiative called “Gamma Wave Sound*.” This initiative aims to integrate cognitive function care into daily life. Its concept is straightforward: “Solving problems simply by living.” It is a challenge to develop a new service focusing on changes in brain rhythm activity through sensory stimulation.
＊“Gamma Wave Sound”: This is a sound that has the potential to improve cognitive functions while living everyday life by modulating all sounds of daily life, such as television and radio, into a 40-Hz periodic sound in real time.
A Passionate Challenger
At the heart of the innovative initiative by SHIONOGI and PxDT stands Tatsuya Yanagawa, the protagonist of our story. He is one of the key figures driving an ambitious project aimed at opening up new horizons in dementia care through everyday sounds. “This innovative approach has the potential to offer new hope to patients who are dissatisfied with existing treatment methods,” says Yanagawa. His career began as a researcher in a similar industry, always seeking solutions to “societal issues.” The deciding factor for his move to SHIONOGI was an environment that seemed conducive to challenging new frontiers rather than just researching drugs. He shared this with a smile.
The Force Behind Innovation
“Solving problems simply by living” has been a theme that Yanagawa has been advocating even before joining SHIONOGI. “I wanted to address the ‘issues’ related to healthcare that are scattered throughout society. I disliked the notion that only ‘medication’ could be the solution,” he explains. Yanagawa’s passion for this project, offering a new approach to dementia care, stems from his years of pursuit of solving societal issues related to healthcare through everyday life. This project aligns with his long-standing dream.
Challenges Faced Along the Way
However, this endeavor faced numerous challenges before being formalized as a project. Internally, concerns lingered regarding the release of products featuring pre-evidence technology, whereas externally, cultural differences between PxDT and SHIONOGI posed barriers. Yanagawa mentions instances where the collaboration with PxDT was at risk of dissolution, and the project faced moments of crisis. Nevertheless, among these challenges, by sharing the desire to “solve problems” internally and externally, discussions were held, compromises sought, and various obstacles within and outside the organization were overcome. Yanagawa continued to strive toward this goal.
Looking Toward the Future
What does Yanagawa envision for the future? “Our initial goal is to establish evidence for Gamma Wave Sound and implement it in society. Eventually, we aim to develop solutions for diseases other than dementia through sensory stimulation,” he says. With this initiative, aiming to challenge dementia through a new approach of sound, Yanagawa and his team strive daily to bring hope to society, aiming to have a significant impact on the future of healthcare.
Meeting Scene: They strive to always have positive discussions, and smiles naturally abound.
SHIONOGI aims to evolve from a “pharmaceutical company focused on providing medicinal drugs” to a “Healthcare as a Service company offering healthcare services,” continually providing new value to society and comprehensively addressing the problems faced by patients and society. Yanagawa’s project is also contributing to providing new value to the world.
