R&D needs of committee member companies
For academia and start-ups, this section summarizes the needs of R&D committee member companies.
- Please click on the company name to access their innovation-related websites.
- Some companies include a message to academia and startups and contact information under their company name.
- Please review the information on each company and contact them directly with your request.
A-row
Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation
(Updated July 29, 2024)
Asahi Kasei Pharma is promoting open innovation activities to further strengthen in-licensing and alliances from Japan and abroad.
Through innovation through collaboration, Asahi Kasei Pharma aims to create breakthrough new drugs for diseases with high unmet medical needs and "reduce to zero the number of people who give up what they want to do because of their illness. Our goal is to "reduce to zero the number of people who give up what they want to do because of their disease.
For more information, please visit our open innovation website.
Astellas Pharma Inc.
(Updated on October 28, 2024)
Astellas aims to expand its pipeline through partnering in order to deliver "value" to patients who are waiting for a cure. Our partnering team explores opportunities with partners that align with Astellas' strategy under the philosophy of open innovation.
AstraZeneca Corporation
AstraZeneca is interested in partnering with companies, universities and research institutions in the following areas and fields of drug discovery and R&D
Targeted areas/fields
- Oncology (cancer)
- Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases
- Respiratory/Immunological Diseases
- Vaccine/Immunotherapy
Inquiry
AstraZeneca Corporation Research & Development DivisionBiotech.Transfer.Japan@astrazeneca.com
Alfresa Pharma Corporation
(Listed on Dec. 1, 2025)
Disease areas of focus
- Sleep Disorders
- Neurological Diseases
- Pediatric Special Fields
- Areas of High Unmet Medical Needs
- Emergency and critical care
- Gastrointestinal Diseases
- Autoimmune Diseases
Inquiry
www.alfresa-pharma.co.jp/support/form/EA Pharma Co.
We are looking for drug discovery research partners who are interested in collaborations and joint research on drug discovery, development, and basic drug discovery technology research related to gastrointestinal diseases. Although our disease area is gastrointestinal diseases, we would like to integrate research in various fields other than gastrointestinal diseases to develop therapeutic drugs from new perspectives and ideas. To this end, we will consider proposals for collaboration and applications in other disease areas as well as in pharmacy, engineering, and science and technology.
Eisai Co.
(Updated July 29, 2024)
We aim to develop therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and a wide range of dementias following amyloid beta and tau, and are seeking proposals from scientists with unique ideas and research programs in these areas. For more information, please visit our corporate website above.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.
Disease areas of focus
- Neuropsychiatric Diseases
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Kidney/Circulatory Diseases
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Immune System/Inflammatory Diseases
- Blood cancer
- Ophthalmologic Diseases
- Rare Diseases
Inquiry
OPC_Partnering@otsuka.jpOno Pharmaceutical Co.
(Updated on October 28, 2024)
We have designated oncology, immunology, neurology, and specialty areas with high medical needs as our focus areas.
By actively promoting open innovation, we aim to create breakthrough drugs that have a significant medical impact by utilizing advanced technologies and selecting the most appropriate modality (therapeutic means) for our proprietary drug discovery seeds.
Inquiry
customer_info@ono-pharma.comF" line
Kissei Pharmaceutical Co.
Kissei's focus areas are urology, renal and dialysis, and intractable and rare disease areas. Kissei focuses its management resources on these areas to create unique and competitively superior pharmaceutical products. In in-house drug discovery, we focus on small molecule drug discovery, aiming to create new drugs that can achieve unprecedented innovation and usefulness for targets that can take advantage of small molecule strengths. Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical is committed to the development of new drugs through transdermal drug discovery and evaluation.
Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co.
(Published on October 28, 2024)
Kyowa Kirin Co.
Kowa Company, Limited
(Updated July 29, 2024)
Kowa Company, Ltd. focuses its research and development in the following areas
Lifestyle-related diseases
- Dyslipidemia
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- Arteriosclerotic Diseases
Immunology and Inflammation
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Inflammatory Diseases
- Skin Diseases
Sensory organs area
- Eye disease
- Hearing and Balance Function System Diseases
A to Z
Sanofi K.K.
Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co.
(Published on October 28, 2024)
We are promoting open-innovation drug discovery of small molecule and nucleic acid drugs without being specific to a disease area.
Shionogi & Co.
(Updated as of June 30, 2025)
SHIONOGI is committed to the total care of infectious diseases and the realization of a vibrant and affluent lifestyle. In order to effectively identify various partnering opportunities, we have published a Wish List of research themes that we are interested in on our website.
Sumitomo Pharma Co.
A to Z
Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited
Daiichi Sankyo is taking a number of open innovation initiatives aimed at expanding its external drug discovery network and securing diverse sources of innovation. We are always looking for new drug target molecules, useful evaluation systems, and new modality technologies, so please check our website for more information.
Inquiry
OpenInnovation@daiichisankyo.co.jpTaisho Pharmaceutical Co.
(Added on July 29, 2024)
Taiho Pharmaceutical Co.
Aiming to develop new therapies for refractory cancers.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
(Updated on December 1, 2025)
Takeda's major areas of exploration (as of September 2025):
- Oncology: Solid tumors (non-small cell lung cancer, thoracic malignancies including small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, digestive malignancies including pancreatic cancer, etc.), hematopoietic tumors
- Neuroscience: neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.), neuromuscular diseases (ALS, DM1, etc.)
- Gastrointestinal and inflammatory: Fibrostenotic Crohn's disease, severe hepatic fibrosis, atopic dermatitis, systemic sclerosis, etc.
Tanabe Pharma Co.
(Updated on December 1, 2025)
Tanabe Pharma wishes to partner with companies, universities and research institutions in the following areas and fields of drug discovery and research and development.
Target Areas and Fields
- Neurological Diseases
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Cancer
Inquiry
partnering-ml@ml.tanabe-pharma.com
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co.
Teijin Pharma Limited
(Updated July 29, 2024)
Teijin Pharma Limited promotes the following open innovation activities.
- Drug targets, drug seeds and novel evaluation systems for neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases
- New Modality Technology Applicable to Rare Diseases
- Drug delivery technology to specific tissues, such as crossing the blood-brain barrier
Proposals at the basic research stage are also welcome, regardless of the acquisition of drug seeds.
Inquiry
Kazuya Takenouchi, Biomedical Research Institutek.takenouchi@teijin.co.jp
A to Z
Nippon Kayaku Co.
We are vigorously pursuing research and development of novel anti-cancer drugs using small molecule drug discovery and biotechnology and macromolecular synthesis technologies while collaborating with external research institutions.
If you have any proposals for joint research, please contact us through the "About Joint Research" link in the Inquiries section below.
Nippon Shinyaku Co.
We welcome information on drug discovery seeds, drug targets, and technologies that can be used for drug discovery. For more information, please visit our R&D partnering website.
Inquiry
R&D Partnering Officezz_mail_partnering@po.nippon-shinyaku.co.jp
Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co.
(Added on July 29, 2024)
Contact for Inquiries
BIAlliance.JP@boehringer-ingelheim.comF - Line
Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co.
(Listed on June 30, 2025)
Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical specializes in Transdermal Drug Delivery System (TDDS) and has created many drugs based on TDDS technology.
We are currently exploring open innovation opportunities with external partners with different perspectives and ideas to accelerate the development of innovative drugs.
We also offer opportunities to use our joint experimental space and our own research equipment in our research institute (SAGA Global Research Center) located in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture.
Pfizer Japan Inc.
Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K.
Bristol-Myers Squibb is focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines in areas of high unmet medical need, including oncology, hematology, cardiology, immunology, and neurology.
We are actively seeking partnership opportunities with academic institutions, research organizations, and biotechnology companies worldwide, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, for drug seeds, precision medicine, biomarkers, and data analysis from the early to late stages of development.
Inquiry
Open Innovation Secretariatbms-join@bms.com
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Maruho Co.
(Updated July 29, 2024)
Please refer to the link below.
For inquiries about Partnering Life Sciences
Meiji Seika Pharma Co.
(Updated on January 31, 2025) (Updated on January 31, 2025)
We focus on immuno-inflammation (autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases), cancer (blood cancer and cancer in general), and infectious diseases (vaccines, antiviruses, and anti-AMR drugs), and conduct drug discovery using macromolecules (antibodies, etc.) and mRNA-based nucleic acid drug technologies. The company is promoting new drug development through open innovation by conducting joint research with academia and collaborating with start-ups, and research results are being achieved through organic fusion and collaboration between internal and external researchers.
Inquiry
R&D Strategy Departmentakira.suwa@meiji.com
Mochida Pharmaceutical Co.
(Updated July 29, 2024)
Mochida's drug discovery research is particularly focused on "nucleic acid medicine" to create innovative new drugs that address unmet medical needs. By maximizing the excellent properties of nucleic acid medicine, we aim to create original and unprecedented drugs.