Singapore: Japanese firm Takeda Pharmaceutical has formed a research collaboration with the BC Cancer Agency to explore new drug targets based on gene analysis at Takeda's Shonan Research Center. The BC Cancer Agency's Chair of Breast Cancer Research, Dr Sam Aparicio, has been invited to the center to lead this research.

The partnership will be the first project conducted as part of Takeda's new Shonan Incubation Laboratories. Through this program, researchers from external institutions will work side-by-side with Takeda researchers at the state-of-the-art new Shonan Research Center, bringing new insights to drug discovery through intensely collaborative research. During the three-year new drug target exploration project, the BC Cancer Agency and Takeda will combine Dr Aparicio's leading-edge insights into gene analysis and the BC Cancer Agency's next-generation DNA sequencing technique with Takeda's drug discovery technologies, expertise and world-class facilities.

"The BC Cancer Agency's partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company combines the strengths and innovations of our respective institutions and researchers with our shared goal of developing new medicines," said Dr Aparicio. "There are powerful scientific synergies which cross the boundaries of cancer, neurological and metabolic diseases and the outcome of our research will be to use our findings to develop more effective therapies in these areas."

"We are delighted that Dr Aparicio, an internationally recognized expert in genome research, will be leading the first collaboration project to launch our Shonan Incubation Laboratories." said Dr Paul Chapman, general manager of the Pharmaceutical Research Division of Takeda. "The Shonan Incubation Laboratories are a major component of our strategy to accelerate research innovation at Takeda. Through collaborative projects such as this, and through participation in other open-innovation projects, we intend to continue opening Takeda's research division to the world's very best science and innovation. Ultimately, this will help both Takeda and the BC Cancer Agency realize our efforts to discover novel drugs that patients have been waiting for."