Japanese companies expand research programmes and collaborations

Japanese drug maker Sankyo has signed a three-year deal with US biopharmaceutical maker X-Ceptor Therapeutics to conduct joint research on ligands used in the treatment of diseases such as hyperlipidemia. Ligands are compounds that bind to a cell's central receptor and affect its function.

The joint research will combine X-Ceptor's technology with Sankyo's expertise in hyperlipidemia treatments to evolve ligands to control cholesterol levels in the body. Sankyo's patent on its hyperlipidaemic treatment, Mevalotin, expires in Japan next year and the pharmaceuticals maker aims to accelerate the development of a successor drug.

Major Japanese pharmaceutical makers are stepping up their research efforts aimed at developing new drugs based on findings from the human-genome sequencing project. Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical plans to spend ¥50bn over five years on genome projects, including investment in laboratories; Eisai plans to double its research staff working on genome-related projects within two years to about 40 to accelerate the search for new drug compounds utilising G-protein-coupled receptors.

Sankyo has built a dedicated facility for genome research at its Shinagawa lab in central Tokyo and plans to spend ¥26bn on genome-related research over three years. Ono Pharmaceutical, which is to construct its third plant by the autumn of 2002, has analysed the functions of 15 genes and identified two promising substances likely be used in new drugs.

Market leader Takeda Chemical Industries has consolidated its divisions responsible for fundamental research and drug production. Although the drugmaker has not disclosed how much it plans to spend on projects related to genome research, its total annual r&d expenditures on a group basis are expected to reach ¥200bn by 2005, compared with the current ¥90bn.