Dr. Sugiyama is acknowledged as a world-leader in the fields of physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) and membrane transporters. His work on PBPK has been pivotal for quantitative in vitro – in vivo extrapolation, especially the development of models for the prediction of drug clearance and the magnitude of drug-drug interactions in humans. Further, his studies on membrane transporters, which encompass functional and kinetic characterization, and the impact of genetic variation, have been fundamental to our understanding of the role of transporters in drug disposition. Professor Sugiyama’s research on membrane transporters has yielded better understanding of the basic aspects of transport mechanisms. He has discovered several examples in which transporters play a major role in drug disposition. Moreover, his work has highlighted the importance of considering pharmacokinetic properties in drug development, using high-throughput screening methods to test large numbers of drug candidates synthesized by combinatorial chemistry. Detailed in vitro studies of transporters for the first time appear to predict transporter-mediated drug-drug interaction in vivo. Lastly, genetic variations in transporter genes are being identified in his laboratory that can account for inter-individual differences in drug disposition and drug action. Thus, he has produced a remarkable body of scientific work, with profound impact on how we understand and use drugs.

Taken together, his achievements brought profound change to the discovery and development of new drugs, and their regulation by government authorities. He is actively conducting more research to pursue his ultimate purpose, prediction of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in early phases of drug discovery and development. These research efforts will contribute to successful drug development and to delivering the right drugs to the right patients.