TOKYO, Oct. 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Ciconia Bioventures Inc. (Representative
Director, Founder CEO: Toshio
Fujimoto, "Ciconia") today announced its establishment as a
joint venture company based on a master agreement signed on
April 22, 2024 by Takeda
Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK, President and
CEO, Christophe Weber, "Takeda"),
Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, "Astellas"), and Sumitomo Mitsui
Banking Corporation (President & CEO: Akihiro Fukutome, "SMBC"). (News release
regarding the master agreement is here.)
Ciconia seamlessly covers the entire process from early drug
discovery research to establishment of biotech startups, with the
aim of translating innovative technologies and drug discovery
programs originating in Japan into
clinical applications. Leveraging a wide range of promising drug
discovery seeds from Japanese academia, biotech startups, and
pharmaceutical companies, the company will focus on formulating
development strategies and acquiring new data to enhance the value
of these seeds, transforming them into high-potential assets with a
greater likelihood of success. The company will also integrate
additional R&D funding and experienced management teams to
launch new innovative startups, increasing the number of successful
biotech ventures emerging from Japan. To achieve these goals of advancing
innovative drug discovery programs primarily originating from
Japan into the global
pharmaceutical market, incubating globally competitive drug
discovery technology, and fostering entrepreneurship, Ciconia's
incubation activities will be carried out in collaboration with
academia, biotechnology ventures, and pharmaceutical companies
across Japan, in a shared effort
to unleash the potential of drug discovery ecosystem for the
world.
"Ciconia will evaluate early development stage seeds, establish
its own company based on the selected seeds, raise funds worldwide
and pursue global product development," said Toshio Fujimoto, Representative Director,
Founder CEO at Ciconia. "Ultimately, we hope to deliver innovations
from Japan to the world through
our work."
"The establishment of Ciconia is a significant step forward for
the further growth of Japan's drug
discovery ecosystem to lead global R&D," said Yasushi Kajii, Head of R&D Japan Region at
Takeda. "Leveraging our extensive experience in supporting venture
companies and entrepreneurs both domestically and internationally,
we are committed to supporting startups emerging from Ciconia with
excellent drug discovery seeds to expand globally."
"We highly expect that Ciconia will activate Japan's drug discovery ecosystem in
collaboration with a wide variety of players from industry,
government, and academia, and deliver innovative therapeutics to
patients around the world through its global expansion," said
Issei Tsukamoto, Ph.D., Head of
Business Development, Astellas. "We will provide multifaceted
support to Ciconia based on our drug discovery and business
expertise, and networks we have cultivated worldwide."
"We will support Japan's
resurgence by promoting the development of new technologies and
industries through Ciconia Bioventures Inc., which aids in the
development of new pharmaceuticals," added a representative for
SMBC.
About Ciconia Bioventures Inc.
Location:
- Headquarter: 2-26-1, Muraoka-Higashi, Fujisawa, Kanagawa
251-0012, Japan
- Tokyo Office: 3-11-5, Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023, Japan
Founded: August 2024
Capital: Approximately 600 million
yen (including capital reserve)
Management Team:
- Representative Director, Founder CEO: Toshio Fujimoto
- COO/CBO: Masaharu Tani
- Interim CSO: Yoshinori
Ikeura
Homepage: https://www.ciconiabioventures.com
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SOURCE Ciconia Bioventures Inc.
