[The transition of amino acid drug development for 50 years in Japan (1)--amino acid parenteral fluid].
Twenty kinds of alpha-amino acids that form the constituents of proteins in mammalian tissues are all L-form with the exception of glycine. These proteins consist of both dispensable and indispensable alpha-amino acids, and play an important role as nutrients. The artificial mixtures of these alpha-amino acids are also important as ethical drugs. The history of alpha-amino acid parenteral fluid is not as long as one might think in terms of its clinical applications. The first publication of clinical data on the subject only appeared in 1944. In Japan, the first product using alpha-amino acid solution made from casein protein entered the market in 1950. In 1959, an alpha-amino acid solution produced from optically pure L-form was launched in Japan and became a pioneer in the field of artificial mixture solutions worldwide. From the 1960s, the amino acid industry has developed remarkably in Japan by means of chemically synthetic, enzymatic and microbial methodologies. Since then, most of the optically active alpha-amino acids have been easily obtainable, and the clinical uses of a-amino acid solutions using a variety of combinations have developed tremendously. From the 1950s to the 1970s, most of the mixture solutions containing a large number of a-amino acids were clinically developed for nutritional supplements. However, from the 1990s, amino acid solutions targeting diseases such as hepato-nephricpathy have increased, while new pediatric a-amino acid solutions are still being launched today. Since the year 2000, amino acid kit formulations with vitamins have been developed for convenient use in hospitals.
Arai
Yumiko
Y
Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center, 2-12-15 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002.
Uehara
Keiko
K
Matsumoto
Kazuo
K
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000266:history*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000266:history*; D015195:Drug Design; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007564:Japan
D000596:Amino Acids