Date:
Dec 11, 2011
Time:
7:00 am - 10:00 am

Introducing the JAT Pharma Translation Handbook

Speakers: Doug Havens and Tony Atkinson

Speakers’ Profiles:

L. Douglas Havens

Doug Havens studied biochemistry and microbiology in a premed course at McGill University in Montreal, and worked as a French and German to English technical translator in Europe. He came to Japan in 1965 and learned Japanese at Sophia University in Tokyo. Beginning in 1973 he translated Drug Approval and Licensing Procedures in Japan and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, which are revised every few years. He now translates mainly pharmaceutical regulatory documents and medical papers for publication. Doug lives and works in Tokyo, Japan.
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Tony Atkinson

Based in Perth, Western Australia, Tony Atkinson began a full-time career as a Japanese-English translator in 1988 after a decade teaching physics and chemistry. He began to focus on biomedical and pharmaceutical translation after becoming a freelancer in 1993, and now works exclusively in this field for clients in Japan, the United States, and Europe. He has presented seminars on translation and English medical writing to various clients, and has also taught the Japanese-into-English medical translation component of the Master of Arts in Japanese Interpreting and Translation at the University of Queensland, using videoconferencing and other flexible delivery techniques.

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Summary

The standardization of Japanese pharmaceutical regulatory terminology has come a long way since the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) was established in April 1990 by the EU, the US, and Japan. Before this, pharma documents such as protocols and clinical study reports were often structured arbitrarily, and the writing style was frequently idiosyncratic. Regulatory documents in Japanese must now comply with guidelines issued by the ICH. Materials to be submitted for filing in Japan use the Common Technical Document format and uniform terminology from the Japanese version of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA).
To succeed in this increasingly regulated world of pharmaceutical writing, translators must have a working understanding of the regulatory environment. In the spring of 2010, JAT volunteers began preparing the JAT Pharma Translation Handbook, which is intended to provide an introduction to that environment, guidance on information sources for use in pharma translation and writing, and useful glossary terms. With the JAT Pharma Translation Handbook now set for imminent release, and on behalf of the team behind the Handbook, Senior Editor Doug Havens and contributing author Tony Atkinson will give a brief introduction to their involvement with the project, and discuss the content of the handbook and regulatory pharmaceutical translation in general.

Date: 10th December, 2011
Time: 14:00-17:00
Place: Forum 8, Shibuya (http://www.forum-8.co.jp/access/index.html)
Address: Dogenzaka 2-10-17, Shibuya, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3780-0008
Cost: JAT members free, Non-members 1,000 yen (advance registration not necessary)
Inquiries: [email protected]