There are still many unmet medical needs in the world including those of intractable diseases and rare diseases. Due to their complexity and rarity, mechanisms of these diseases are more difficult to be clarified, and drug discovery for these diseases requires an understanding of disease pathologies in humans. Thus, researches using blood and other clinical samples to identify molecules and cells critically associated with patients’ diseases, and those determining patient stratification are being highly demanded. In order to exploit findings of these studies and deliver innovative drugs to patients as soon as possible, efficient and in-depth research collaborations between academia and pharmaceutical company are needed in situations close to the clinical setting and diseases.
To further accelerate drug discovery research through evolution of the open innovation system of the AK Project*, where, clinical and basic research of the university and drug discovery research of the company are closely linked in a timely manner, Kyoto University and Astellas established Alliance Station (A-Station), a new open innovation scheme at Kyoto University, and the Alliance Laboratory for Advanced Medical Research as a framework for the implementation of its activities. A-Station is a new platform for collaboration between industry and academia and under this scheme, Kyoto University and Astellas will conduct joint research projects in all therapeutic areas in a prompt and flexible manner. Director： Shuh Narumiya （Professor, Graduate school of Medicine）
Industrial Partner： Astellas Pharma Inc.* AK Project: Collaborative research conducted by Kyoto University and Astellas from July 2007 to March 2017 in “Center for Innovation in Immunoregulative Technologies and Therapeutics” as a “Creation of Innovation Centers for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Areas Program” funded by the the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.