Alchemedicine

About Alchemedicine

Alchemedicine, Inc., founded in 2019 by Keigo Tanaka, operates as a drug discovery and development company from its headquarters in Tsukuba City, Japan. The company's core is its proprietary medicinal chemistry platform, HiSAP® (High Solubility and Permeability), which was developed by a team led by Tanaka while he was working at a pharmaceutical company. This platform addresses key challenges in drug development by improving compounds that have issues with efficacy, safety, or bioavailability. The HiSAP® platform utilizes over 300 proprietary synthetic materials and a unique compound-design support system to modify existing bioactive compounds or create new drug candidates. The company's name itself is a blend of "alchemist" and "medicine," reflecting its mission to transform problematic compounds into valuable drug candidates.

The firm's business model encompasses both internal drug discovery programs and joint discovery ventures with pharmaceutical companies, biopharmaceutical ventures, and academic institutions. In its collaborative projects, Alchemedicine takes charge of exploratory synthesis using HiSAP® and drug profiling based on the terms of the alliance contracts. A significant example of this model is the exclusive license agreement with Asahi Kasei Pharma for a selective Endothelin A receptor antagonist. This deal, valued at up to ¥35.9 billion, includes upfront payments, milestones, and tiered royalties, granting Asahi Kasei Pharma worldwide rights for development and commercialization. Alchemedicine has since announced receiving a milestone payment under this agreement. The company has also entered into joint research and collaboration agreements with other major players like Astellas Pharma Inc., Maruho, and Senju Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Since its inception, Alchemedicine has secured significant funding to advance its research, raising a total of $19.8M through multiple rounds. Key investors include Mizuho Capital, Beyond Next Ventures, Jafco, and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, among others. The company's pipeline is diverse, targeting a range of diseases with unmet medical needs, including chronic kidney disease, glaucoma, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and cancer. Specific programs in the pipeline include an ALDH2 activator, an ALK5 inhibitor, and a CK1δ/ε inhibitor for circadian rhythm disorders. The leadership team consists of CEO & Founder Keigo Tanaka, Director/COO Tomohisa Ninomiya, and Director/CFO Eiji Shinohara.