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Researcher Hitaka of the Pharmacology Business Unit will present a poster at the 99th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society
2026.03.09
Researcher Hitaka from the Pharmacology Business Unit, will deliver a poster presentation at The 99th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society, to be held in Kawauchi Campus, Tohoku University, Japan.
If you plan to attend the conference, we encourage you to join the session and hear the presentation.
Conference Name:The 99th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society
Date & Time: March 18 (Wed), 2026, 14:00-15:00 (JST)
Location: Kawauchi Campus, Tohoku University, Japan, Symposium 12
Poster No.: C000229
Title: Establishment of Evaluation Systems for Nausea and Vomiting Risks of GLP-1–Related Peptides Using Rodent Models
Presentation Summary
GLP-1–related therapeutics have been reported to induce nausea and vomiting despite their potent anti-obesity effects. In nonclinical studies, the evaluation of these adverse effects generally requires the use of large animals such as dogs or non-human primates, making assessment at the screening stage difficult. This limitation arises from the inability of rodents to vomit and represents a challenge in drug discovery research.
To address this issue, we have developed rodent evaluation systems utilizing physiological responses that serve as surrogate markers of nausea and vomiting (salivary amylase activity, salivary volume, conditioned taste aversion [CTA], and pica behavior). In the present study, we evaluated the responses induced by GLP-1–related therapeutics using these assays and compared their sensitivity.
While no significant changes were observed in the evaluation of pica behavior, significant responses were observed in salivary amylase activity and CTA tests, and a reduction in salivary volume was also confirmed. Because xerostomia is known to an accompanying symptom of nausea, decreased salivary secretion may serve as an additional indicator of nausea induced by GLP-1–related therapeutics.
These findings are expected to contribute to future advances in obesity research and drug discovery.
Axcelead DDP’s Soulution
Axcelead provides a wide array of evaluation systems for assessing the risk of nausea and vomiting as adverse effects. We also offer comprehensive solutions in obesity research, backed by extensive experience in animal model evaluation and a robust measurement infrastructure.
If you encounter challenges in evaluation or characterization in the field of obesity, please feel free to consult with us.

Kosuke Hitaka, Pharmacology Business Unit
Master of Pharmacy, graduated from Kyushu University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2012.
He joined Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in 2012, where he was involved in drug discovery research targeting infectious diseases and kidney diseases.
He joined Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc. in 2023 and has been engaged in pharmacological studies in metabolic diseases including renal and liver diseases and obesity.
