Unique Collaboration Brings about a Greater Creative Synergy
FPR conducts well-rounded joint research under the collaborative research agreement with the University of Tokyo Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST). A unique attempt in this collaboration is that FPR set up its own laboratory on their campus, bringing business-oriented research system right in the middle of academia. This new industrial-academic complex enables closer ties between the parties, and resultantly, a greater creative synergy among researchers.
Antibody Drug Discovery Race in Post-Genome Research
Since the mid-nineties, mega pharmaceuticals and bio-ventures rushed to hunting for disease-associated genes. Although potential candidates were found in many instances, there were few findings that directly contributed to physical drug development. Nowadays many pharmaceutical businesses are aware of huge potential of monoclonal antibody and shift their major R&D resources to this particular field. There are three background reasons for this shift.
Firstly, researchers began to recognize antibody's function that bridges the disease-associated molecule and therapeutic and diagnostic properties of medicines. By its high affinity and specificity nature, antibodies have been used in fundamental bioscience for identifying target antigens and clarifying their functions. Therefore it is quite logical for researchers to think of broader applications of antibodies as a means of delivering medicinal properties to target molecules (cells) or modulating antigen's function.
Secondly, the advance of antibody engineering enabled us to readily produce low-antigenic humanized and/or human antibodies, and to establish mass-preparation techniques for medical use antibodies. Lastly, the world market saw the burst of sales of antibody medicines in these several years. While the controls over total healthcare cost are tightened across the world, antibody drug market looks quite attractive for major pharmaceutical companies seeking for a new growth driver.
Strong focus on discovering secretory or membrane proteins represents researchers’ common perception that monoclonal antibodies are one of the most promising approaches for new drug discovery. We at FPR, concentrate our efforts on discovering new antibody drug candidates based on the experimental data acquired at RCAST while relying on expertise and experience of Chugai’s antibody drug development. Not only searching for target molecules, we also strive to assess the drug efficacy by isolating the antibodies against the target molecules.
Discovering and Validating Promising Targets
In pursuit of target molecules for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, FPR performs an extensive in-silico search for promising targets that might have been missed by others, utilizing RCAST's world-class gene expression analysis database. We compile the list of likely candidates first through retrieving databases and examining literatures and patent claims, and then make thorough analysis to see whether or not a candidate is useful for therapeutics and diagnostics.
In recent years it becomes relatively easier job to list likely disease-associated candidates through analyzing expression profile and genome sequence data. To see whether or not the candidates on the list are useful, each candidate must undergo complete validation process. The process, however, tends to be unwelcome because it takes a great deal of time and patient efforts. In fact, we found quite a number of good candidates left unexamined in research literatures.
With researchers of specialty skills such as genetic cloning, protein expression, protein purification, antibody preparation and efficacy testing, FPR proceeds steadily and swiftly with analysis and validation of likely candidates.
Seeing antibody as a therapeutic agent, its major anti-tumor activities are those mediated by antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), neutralizing growth factor signaling and inducing apoptosis. In addition, thanks to the advanced antibody engineering, it becomes possible to create functional antibody with agonist activities that can replace physiological active substance, and to make molecular modifications and/or modulations including low-molecular antibody, defucosylated antibody and toxin binding.
We, at FPR, expedite new drug discovery by designing each therapeutic antibody in such a way as to best fit for the attributes of molecular target and the nature of disease, and adding our unique ideas to the design.
It is our ultimate goal to contribute to healthier life of people around the world through discovering innovative medicines for therapeutics and diagnostics. We devote every effort to finding more promising candidates that result in successful new drug discovery.
