Research Collaborations, In-licenses and Acquisitions

Toward Continuous New Drug Discoveries

We are actively pursuing research collaborations with research institutions, including universities, in Japan and overseas, investing in venture companies with innovative technologies, and making acquisitions and in-licensing products under development through strategic investments to expand and strengthen our development pipeline.

Investment and contribution to ventures
Major joint research
Strategic Alliances and Acquisitions
Major in-licensed / partnererd products

Investment and contribution to ventures

We collect information in various ways, including investments in bio-venture funds.

Investment destination	Investment fields
Apposite Healthcare Fund, L.P.	Life sciences, healthcare services Investment in bio-venture fund (PDF/50 KB)
Remiges BioPharma Fund, L.P.	Pharmaceuticals research and development and other life sciences Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma announces Investment in a New Venture Capital Fund (PDF/40 KB)
DEFTA Healthcare Technologies, L.P.	Leading-edge medical treatments and regenerative medicine, next-generation medical devices, and healthcare IoT/ICT Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Announces Investment in DEFTA Healthcare Technologies, L.P. (PDF/105 KB)
MPM Oncology Innovations Fund	Academia and growing early-stage companies that are developing new drug candidate compounds in the oncology area Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Announces Investment in MPM Oncology Innovations Fund (PDF/139 KB)
Kicker Ventures I, L.P.	Early-stage companies that seek business opportunities primarily in the U.S., Canada, and Japan by harnessing digital healthcare technologies such as digital therapy, smart devices, data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI), personalized medicine, and cutting-edge therapeutic devices and pharmaceutical products Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Announces Investment in a Venture Capital Fund (PDF/106 KB)

Major Joint Research

Here are some of the major joint research projects we are working on with research institutions, including universities, in Japan and overseas. We are also promoting new drug discoveries by implementing “PRISM,” a publicly solicited open innovation activity, to seek original ideas from universities, research institutions, and companies in Japan and conduct collaborative studies that match our needs in drug discovery research.

Joint research partners	Research contents
The Kitasato Institute	Sumitomo Pharma is conducting joint research with a drug discovery group led by Dr. Satoshi Omura, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Kitasato University and the 2015 laureate of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, with the aim of discovering new drugs against infections caused by bacteria with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This joint R&D initiative was selected by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) for its Cyclic Innovation for Clinical Empowerment (CiCLE) grant program.
The Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA)	①This joint research collaboration between industry and academia, focusing on a rare intractable disease caused by genetic mutation, aims to use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to identify the pathognomonic mechanism of the disease, identify the most disease-specific target molecule from various pathological changes of signal transduction, and screen specific inhibitors against the signal pathway. As a result, the aim is to create an epoch-making treatment to suppress detrimental conditions in patients. ②CiRA and Sumitomo Pharma are conducting joint research and development to establish the world's first Parkinson's disease treatment using allogeneic iPS cell-derived dopaminergic neural progenitor cells.
The Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) and Hitachi Ltd.	CiRA, Hitachi Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharma are jointly developing the base technology and evaluation methods to establish a production process for dopaminergic neural progenitor cells. This will be used to develop the world's first Parkinson's disease treatment using allogeneic iPS cell-derived dopaminergic neural progenitor cells. These endeavors are part of the "Project Focused on Developing Key Evaluation Technology: Evaluation for Industrialization in the Field of Regenerative Medicine" commissioned by The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).
Healios K.K.	Healios K.K. and Sumitomo Pharma are conducting joint development in Japan of iPS cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells) for the treatment of Retinal pigment epithelium teaｒand other eye diseases.
Keio University and National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital	Under the Research Center Network for Realization of Regenerative Medicine, a joint initiative between government, industry and academia, Sumitomo Pharma, together with the National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital, is taking part as a contributing organization in the Keio University (Professor Hideyuki Okano) project on "Regenerative medicine for spinal cord injury and stroke using iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells." The goal of the project is to develop a treatment for the transplantation of iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells for spinal cord injury.
RIKEN, Kobe City Eye Hospital	In basic research, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. in partnership with RIKEN has succeeded in generating a three-dimensional retina from human embryonic stem cells, a world first. Following on from this, Sumitomo Pharma aims to create a treatment available using an allogeneic iPS cell-derived three-dimensional retina with Kobe City Eye Hospital.
The Jikei University School of Medicine and Bios	The two partners and Sumitomo Pharma are working on joint research and development with the goal of developing renal regenerative medicine using iPS cell-based organogenic niche method, and to achieve its commercialization by fiscal 2027.
Carna Biosciences, Inc.	Carna Bioscience and Sumitomo Pharma are conducting joint research with a view toward discovering novel kinase inhibitors indicated for psychiatric and neurological disorders by combining accumulated Carna Biosciences's know-how on kinase inhibitor discovery with Sumitomo Pharma's know-how on drug discovery research in the area of neuroscience.
Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)	MMV and Sumitomo Pharma are conducting joint research aimed at identifying antimalarial candidate compounds. The Joint Research has been awarded funding from the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund).
Ehime University	Sumitomo Pharma is conducting joint research and development with Ehime University, etc. on new malaria vaccines (Malaria disease prevention vaccine, Malaria transmission-blocking vaccine, Pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine)
NIBIOHN (National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition)	NIBIOHN and Sumitomo Pharma are conducting joint research for a universal influenza vaccine that provides broader protection against most influenza.

Strategic Alliances and Acquisitions

We are actively expanding and strengthening our development pipeline by keeping an eye on global trends and acquiring products under development through strategic investments. This section describes the status of products under development at the time of acquisition.