Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with UK Dementia Research Institute to identify the novel therapeutic targets in the research field of dementia. In this collaboration, as part of the promotion of 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 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 drug discovery efforts focusing on oncology, immunology and neuroscience areas with the aim to create innovative drugs that can fulfill unmet medical needs.