March 08, 2024
Advancing Malaria Research: Nagasaki University and Shionogi Extend Industry-Academia Partnership
Nagasaki University and Shionogi & Co. signed an agreement on Monday, March 4, 2024 for the second phase of "Comprehensive partnership in the field of infectious diseases focused on malaria. "
Isao Teshirogi, the Chairman, President, and CEO, commenced the signing ceremony by stating, "We will collaborate with Nagasaki University and other partner institutions to explore all feasible options to eliminate malaria." He also conveyed his resolve to "Employ the malaria drug discovery research foundation established in the first phase and concentrate on clinical trials in the second phase."
Over the first five-year period from February 2019 to March 2024, we have focused on promoting research in three key areas: research on prevention of serious illness, vaccine development, and discovery of new therapeutic agents. As a result of our efforts, we have achieved significant outcomes including the identification of proteins related to lipid metabolism that are involved in malaria severity, the discovery of several potential preventive therapeutics, and the development of a vaccine candidate that uses messenger RNA. During this process, we have collaborated with seven institutions, including Osaka Public University, Ehime University, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the GHIT Fund*, to strengthen and advance our research. Additionally, we have trained numerous researchers to continue to promote cutting-edge and advanced research in the future.
Based on the results obtained, we plan to begin clinical trials using the identified compounds as soon as possible in the second phase of our five-year project. During the press conference after the agreement signing, Professor Kiyoshi Kita, the Chairman of the Comprehensive Collaborative Joint Steering Committee, and the Dean of the Graduate School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health at Nagasaki University, expressed hope for the future. He stated that ”We aim to develop drugs that are both preventive and therapeutic, and can be made available at low cost.” The press conference was filled with hope for the eradication of malaria.
GHIT fund =Global Health Innovative Technology Fund
