Founder members

Juran Kato, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Founder

  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharma R&D experience in drug repositioning and oncology
  • Executive training in MIT Sloan School of Management
  • AACR female scholar award recipient

    • Appointments/Education：
    2017  Associate Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    2012  Associate Director, Extra Value Generation Drug Discovery Unit
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    2006  Principal Scientist Oncology Drug Discovery Unit
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    2000  Assistant Researcher, Postdoctoral fellow
    University of California, Los Angeles
    2000  Ph.D. (Molecular Biology), Tokyo Institute of Technology
    1996  Lecturer, International Christian University

    Honor/Awards：
    Drug Discovery Unit Head Award, Research Division Head Award, Department Head Award (Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited)
    Brigid G. Leventhal Scholars in Cancer Research Award for the promising female researcher (AACR)

    Patent：
    1 substance patent
    1 utility patent

    Selected publications：
    1) Signal Transduction Second Edition (article in Japanese) Ed Y. Kaziro and Satoh (2011) MDSi
    2) Career path 101 for PhDs in Bioscience Majors (article in Japanese) Ed. Miura and Sengoku (2009) Yodosha

    Mami Ojima
    Director & CKO, Co-Founder

  • Track record of INDs of Candesartan, ARBs, ACEi and PPAR agonist, etc.
  • Pharma presidential award

    • Appointments/Education：
    2017  Principal Scientist, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    1997  Principal Scientist, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Drug Discovery Unit
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    1980  Research Scientist, Cardiovascular Diseases Pharmacology Unit
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    1980  College of Medical Technology,Kyoto University

    Honor/Awards：
    Takeda Global Award, Pharmacology Department Head Award, 1989 President Award (Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited)

    Patent：
    More than 1 substance and utility patent

    Selected publications:
    1) Ojima et al., 2011, J Pharmacol Exp Ther.
    2) Ojima et al., 1997, Eur J Pharmacol.
    3) Ojima et al., 1996, Jpn Pharmacol Ther.

    Lili Mao, PhD
    CSO, Co-Founder

  • Biochemistry
  • Project leader for drug repositioning
  • Extensive experience in project management of CRO operation
  • Inventor of technology patents

    • Appointments/Education：
    2017  Principal Scientist, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    2015  Postdoctoral Fellow, Extra Value Generation Drug Discovery Unit
    Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    2012  Postdoctoral Associate, University of Minnesota
    2010  Research Associate, Postdoctoral Fellow, Rutgers University
    2010  Ph.D. (Biochemistry) University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

    Honor/Awards：
    2011, 2010, Technical Highlight, PSI/Nature Structural Biology Knowledgebase

    Patent：
    2 Technological inventions

    Selected publications:
    1) Mao et al., 2013, Encyclopedia of Biophysics
    2) Mao et al., 2012, Methods in Molecular Biology
    3) Mao et al., 2010, J. Struct Funct Genomics
    4) Hosomi et al., 2018, An integrative approach using real-world data to identify alternative  therapeutic uses of existing drugs, Plos ONE

    Takako Naito, RPh
    Research Alliance, Chief,
    Co-Founder

  • Track record of INDs including Cefozopran, Ceftaroline, etc.
  • Expertise in multiple disease areas


    • Katsuo Midoro, DVM, PhD
    Quality Assurance, Chief
    Co-Founder

  • Track record of INDs of Celmoleukin, etc.
  • Expertise in quality assurance and safety

    • Other members

    Akiko Oka
    General Affairs
    Executive Secretary


    Kazuo Maruhashi PhD
    Senior Advisor
    CMC

  • Over 15 years of experience as head of pharma CMC organization
  • Advisor for multiple CROs and academia

    • Current affiliate：
    Advisor, Chemical Trading Company and CRO
    Researcher, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
    Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University

    Appointments/Education：
    2008  Ace Japan (Manufacturing control of APIs, Process development）
    2007  Mitsubishi Corporation（China R&D division、Process development）
    1991  Taiho Pharma（Quality control of APIs for clinical studies）
    1979  Wako Pure Chemical Corporation（Examining manufacture processes)

    Takeshi Hirayama, RPh
    Senior Advisor
    Business strategy

  • CEO of several ventures in Japan
  • Executive at Sumitomo Corporation

    • Consultant

    Andy Baxendale, PhD
    Senior Advisor
    Clinical Strategy & Global BD

  • 30 years’experience in drug discovery and development across a wide range of therapy areas and organizations (GSK, Daiichi-Sankyo, UCB, Takeda, Cycle Pharma)
  • BD as consultant for Takeda


    • Guido Hanauer, DVM, PhD
    Senior Advisor
    Preclinical development & Translational research

  • 30+ years of experience in discovery, preclinical development and translational medicine for Byk Gulden, Altana Pharma, Nycomed and Takeda
  • 27 patents, Brought 20 compounds to clinical development

    • Science Medical Officer

    Masayuki Ito,MD, PhD
    Chief Medical Science Advisor

  • Specialist in pediatric rare diseases
  • Lead of clinician for JPN MLHW rare disease study group
  • Manages rare disease national registry