Open Innovation

Creating breakthrough therapeutics in collaboration with research institutions.

We actively collaborate with domestic and international research institutions that possess drug discovery seeds and technologies focused on small-molecule drugs and nucleic acid medicines. Our aim is to create therapeutic agents that address "overlooked medical needs."

Open Innovation Initiatives

In 2024, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho established the Open Innovation Department with the aim of enhancing its drug discovery capabilities and expanding its portfolio. Through this initiative, we actively collaborate with external research institutions, both domestic and international, that possess excellent research capabilities and innovative drug discovery technologies at various stages in the drug discovery process. We will continue to leverage our own drug discovery foundation while incorporating highly specialized external technologies and expertise, striving to deliver therapeutic agents that address "overlooked medical needs" to patients as quickly as possible.

Discovery→Optimization Research→Preclinical→Early clinical Phase 1-2a→Late Clinical Phase 2b-3→marketing

Examples of open innovation initiatives

Creating nucleic acid drugs for spinocerebellar degeneration and advancing their domestic development, focusing on their formulation.

In collaboration with Nissan Chemical Corporation, we have jointly developed an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting a type of spinocerebellar degeneration known as dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). DRPLA is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the ATN1 gene, and it is estimated that there are about 800 to 1000 patients in Japan.
In addition, we have entered into a strategic alliance agreement with Nissan Chemical Corporation for nucleic acid drug discovery. Our goal is to create new nucleic acid therapeutics to address rare diseases and other conditions for which effective treatments are lacking and drug development has stalled, as well as to find drugs for diseases where treatment satisfaction is low.

Press Release on April 23, 2024: Announcement of Strategic Alliance Agreement for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery

WISH LIST
(Academia: Collaborative research and drug discovery partnerships with academia・Drug Discovery Ventures)

Modality	Low molecular weight compounds	Nucleic acid medicine (Antisense oligonucleotide，siRNA)
Disease area	"If it is an overlooked medical need, we are not particular about the disease area."
Disease area	Disease areas of interest Neuromuscular NEndocrinology NRare diseases (excluding ultra-rare diseases)	Disease areas of interest Single gene disorders (including diseases specific to Japan)
Target stage	Drug discovery research (target identification) ～ Non-clinical research
Research results^*	Confirm the effect of improving the medical condition (Using animal models or patient cells.)	The causative gene has been identified. The involvement in the pathological condition is clear.

* Including novel drug discovery technologies targeting areas that were difficult or impossible to address with conventional technologies.

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We are looking for partners for joint research and development of new therapeutics.
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