TOKYO and Kyoto, May 13, 2021 - Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., “Astellas” ) and Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (President and CEO; Ko Kusumi, “KYOTO-iCAP”) have established a strategic alliance agreement to bring their strengths together and promote the social implementation of advanced research results from national universities by discovering, supporting, and fostering them.
Based on this agreement, the two companies will establish a system for regularly exchanging information in the drug discovery and healthcare fields. KYOTO-iCAP expects to promote activities supporting establishment and growth of promising venture companies by collaborating with Astellas, which has drug discovery capabilities. Astellas expects to increse opportunities for alliance to incorporate excellent capabilities outside and accelerate delivering cutting-edge science to society by collaborating with KYOTO-iCAP, which has a strong network with promising seeds and venture companies from national universities such as Kyoto University.
In recent years, with the diversification of drug discovery methods and treatment methods, technological fusion between different fields has been attempted. In the future, promoting cross-disciplinary activities beyond medicine and pharmacy will lead to the development of the drug discovery and healthcare fields. KYOTO-iCAP targets all of Kyoto University’s research fields, not limited to drug discovery and healthcare. It has a track record of making a wide range of investments, such as interdisciplinary fusion projects and company carve-out projects. Astellas is committed to open innovation through partnerships with multiple domestic and international academia and venture companies. Astellas has been involved in the ecosystem from Kyoto, such as establishing the “Alliance Station” as a base for joint research activities within Kyoto University in 2017 and investing in the KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 fund managed by KYOTO-iCAP in January 2021.
Through this strategic alliance agreement, the two companies will contribute to the further development of the ecosystem originating in Kyoto, where venture companies from various fields gather, and will strengthen the foundation for socially implementing the research results of national universities as new drugs and new businesses.
Click below for a copy of the full press release
