Ono Enters into Research Collaboration with UK Dementia Research Institute

OSAKA, Japan, Dec. 21, 2023  /PRNewswire/ — Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan; President and CEO: Gyo Sagara; “Ono”) today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with UK Dementia Research Institute (London, UK; “UK DRI”), a national institute that dedicates research on dementia, to identify the novel therapeutic targets in the research field of dementia.

In this collaboration, as part of the promotion of our ongoing open innovation, Ono will initiate a multi-year collaborative research with UK DRI to identify novel therapeutic targets related to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dementia. Ono will call for research themes from affiliated with UK DRI, focusing on our research areas of interest, such as diseases involving glial cells and neuroinflammation, etc. Ono will provide funding for selected joint research themes to identify new therapeutic target molecules for the treatment of dementia. During the research collaboration period, Ono will utilize its expertise and knowledge in the field of neuroscience to drive the joint research. Through the research collaboration, Ono will also identify new therapeutic target molecules for various types of dementia and conduct exploratory research to elucidate the mechanisms involved.

As for such molecules identified through the collaboration, Ono will generate drug candidates against those target molecules and work towards the development and commercialization of new drugs for the treatment of dementia.

Ono dedicates our drug discovery efforts focusing on oncology, immunology and neuroscience areas with the aim to create innovative drugs that can fulfill unmet medical needs. Through our active promotion of “open innovation,” we have generated a number of innovative medicines. We will keep on being committed to creating innovative medicines, aiming to become a global specialty pharma based on our unique drug discovery approach through the open innovation.

UK DRI is a national research institution that brings together leading dementia researchers in the world from six prominent universities in the UK. Its aim is to provide therapeutic solutions for various types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. With over 750 researchers, the institute utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as multiomics (integrative analysis of genes, proteins, metabolites, etc.), induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and data science, to unravel the pathogenetic mechanisms of dementia and develop effective treatments.

“We are pleased to collaborate with UK DRI who has world-leading research capabilities and research collaborative framework,” said Toichi Takino, Senior Executive Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono. “We expect that this partnership will lead to the discovery of innovative new therapeutic targets for dementia.”

“We are delighted to partner with Ono Pharma, a company that shares our commitment to developing life-changing new drugs for dementia,” said Dr Kay Penicud, Director of Innovation & Business at UK DRI. “This strategic collaboration leverages our complementary capabilities in discovery research and drug development. By working together, we aim to accelerate the translation of new research into clinical applications that will bring us closer to desperately needed treatments for those affected by dementia.”

About UK DRI
UK DRI is a national research institute operated by world-leading experts in dementia research area, with funding from the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society, and Alzheimer’s Research UK. University College London (UCL) is home to the operational headquarters of the UK DRI and forms the hub for research activities across the six national research centres, which are at UCL, the University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King’s College London. The institute aims to provide better treatment options for dementia patients by enabling access to world-class research resources and fostering close collaboration among these universities, thus bringing together leading dementia researchers from around the world.

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