Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare selected our affiliated institutions for the Drug Discovery Cluster Campus Development Initiative.

　We are pleased to report that our affiliated institutions, Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (KISTEC) and Central Institute for Experimental Medicine and Life Science (CIEM), have been successfully selected for Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Drug Discovery Cluster Campus Development Initiative on June 26, 2025.

What’s Drug Discovery Cluster Campus Development Initiative？*

　With the emergence of new modalities and intense international competition, the environment surrounding drug discovery has undergone significant changes. In Japan, issues such as drug lag/drug loss are becoming increasingly serious. The decline in Japan’s drug discovery capabilities caused the situation.

　Considering the current environment surrounding drug discovery in which startups and academia (“startups”) are the driving forces behind the creation of innovative drugs, it’s important to nurture startups and guide them toward practical application, which will strengthen drug discovery capabilities and ultimately deliver new medicines to the public.

　The key point in the initiations toward implementation is to build an ecosystem that connects domestic and international stakeholders, such as startups, pharmaceutical companies (with various management resources: people, goods, and money), financial institutions, venture capital, and national and local governments that are taking regulatory and promotional measures for drug discovery.

　Therefore, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has launched the “Drug Discovery Cluster Campus Development Initiative” (“this initiative”) with the FY2024 supplementary budget to support the existing drug discovery clusters in Japan and promote the creation of a drug discovery ecosystem.

（*：From the website of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare）

　Click here (the website of KISTEC) for more information.　→ Only in Japanese.