イノベーション研究者メッセージーつながりが創薬を加速するー（英語記事）
一人では届かない場所へ、チームで進む。社内外のネットワーク、お互いに刺激し支え合う文化、信頼に基づく率直な対話が、研究を前に押し出していきます。初期探索を担うイノベーションセンターのリーダーPrincipal Investigatorたちの経験、思いを聞きました。
目次
Turning Science into Hope│福田保則
Developing treatments for rare diseases is inherently challenging, not only due to the limited patient populations, but also the limited clinical data and research in this field. Undeterred by this challenge, Yasunori Fukuda, Ph.D., is committed to gaining a deeper understanding of the true unmet medical needs faced by patients and healthcare providers, and to developing innovative therapies for rare diseases by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, such as Gene and Cell therapies (GCT). His research team is actively engaged in pioneering drug discovery efforts to help change the future of patients affected by rare diseases.
His team’s research focuses on a clinically validated gene and cell therapy platform developed by Orchard Therapeutics, a Kyowa Kirin Company. By leveraging expertise in antibodies and biologics built at Kyowa Kirin, they adopt a multifaceted approach to develop gene and cell therapies for rare diseases. Moreover, they foster an open work environment where individuals can thrive regardless of age or career stage. Over 30% of his team members joined mid-career, and the younger researchers are highly motivated to lead the pipeline projects. GCT research needs a wide range of experimental fields and significant ‘hands-on’ work, enabling our researchers to gain extensive research experience. Additionally, as this GCT is extensively researched overseas, participation in international conferences is encouraged for all researchers to not only attend these events, but also have opportunities to visit our company’s research sites in the US and UK for face-to-face exchanges with colleagues.
Yasunori has extensive experience in in vitro drug discovery research, specifically chemical biology, ranging from target identification to project launch. Yasunori’s desire to truly understand unmet medical needs for patients with rare diseases came from his time in a previous role working in the Medical Affairs department, where he gained first-hand insights into the challenges of developing therapies for small patient populations and the unique hurdles of rare diseases drug discovery. Drawing on this experience, Yasunori now continually challenges himself, by actively seeking whether our ideas can help overcome these barriers and unmet medical needs as he and the team continue to pursue pioneering drug discovery.
Yasunori shares: “I believe in turning science into hope – by leveraging our company’s scientific platform, we advance our research with the goal of delivering as many rare disease therapies as possible to the world. In a research environment that fosters continuous innovation and challenges, we identify novel discoveries unique to us and thoughtfully balance many factors, such as appropriate modalities, technologies, and drug discovery hypotheses to advance our pipelines which address patients’ unmet medical needs.”
Yasunori’s drive to embrace unique and innovative approaches to help deliver novel therapies to patients and address their unmet medical needs truly embodies our values here at Kyowa Kirin. Watch out for more stories as part of our Principal Investigators series.
This article was originally published on Kyowa Kirin’s official LinkedIn account on March 3, 2026.
Turning Science into Hope | LinkedIn
Pioneering Bone and Mineral Drug Discovery as One Team│佐野暁子
Delivering life-changing value to patients and the healthcare ecosystem requires more than scientific excellence, it requires a culture where employees inspire and support each other to push the boundaries of what is possible. This is the leadership ethos of Akiko Sano, Ph. D, Principal Investigator at the Kyowa Kirin Innovation Center. Her team is engaged in early-stage drug discovery research to develop new drugs in the bone and mineral disease area. This field represents a longstanding area of expertise for our company, strengthened by robust internal and external networks. Within the company, cross-regional and cross-functional information sharing and discussions create an environment that accelerates research progress.
Despite changing research areas several times, Akiko has consistently dedicated herself to exploratory research in disease biology and technology. Before leading the bone and mineral research team, she successfully led multiple projects and fostered strong collaborations with academic partners in the immunology field. She believes that her diverse experience and deep expertise in early drug discovery are essential drivers in advancing her team’s success.
Collaborating with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and understanding our company’s presence and impact on patients has been a highly valuable experience for Akiko as the lead of early-stage drug discovery research. Importantly, she and her team recognize that our value goes beyond mere drug development – it is about improving patients’ quality of life and bringing smiles to their faces. Sharing this common passion, team members with diverse expertise continuously challenge and inspire each other, integrating new insights and technologies to create better medicines. Akiko notes, “moving forward, our next challenge lies in effectively translating these insights into actionable strategies within our research projects.”
Leveraging our existing value chain to its fullest and fostering cross-functional collaboration strengthens the team’s understanding of patients and diseases. Establishing a full-scale exploratory research program in an area where our company has strong presence is particularly rewarding. Akiko’s team aims to serve as a hub for bone and mineral research, as well as related functions across the company - with ‘Ownership’, one of our KABEGOE Principles, as the team’s guide.
Akiko shares: “I always remind myself of the inspiring dream that we may change the future of patients suffering from disease. Although I have encountered many failures, the joy of pursuing science and the achievement of goals through a team with diverse expertise – accomplishing what no one can do alone – make this an incredibly rewarding job.”
Akiko exemplifies how passionate leadership and diverse scientific excellence can transform the future of bone and mineral disease treatment, making her an integral part of the Kyowa Kirin team. Stay tuned as we continue to profile our incredible Principal Investigators.
This article was originally published on Kyowa Kirin’s official LinkedIn account on February 10, 2026.
Pioneering Bone and Mineral Drug Discovery as One Team | LinkedIn
Pioneering the Future of Drug Discovery through Valuable Connections│植村泰典
At Kyowa Kirin, we believe in the power of collaboration in spearheading innovation, helping to solve complex issues and delivering on our ultimate mission – to make people smile. This approach aligns with how Yasunori Uemura, Ph. D., leads his team. He believes that the connections forged between people and organizations, born from a shared passion for research, are the key drivers of breakthrough drug discovery.
Yasunori’s team launches and advances new drug discovery projects in disease biology. They focus particularly on intractable rare diseases, including immunological disorders, continuously challenging themselves to turn unique technologies into novel therapeutics.
Collaboration with external partners is essential to advancing exploratory research at the cutting-edge of drug discovery. A few examples of Yasunori’s collaborations include the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in the U.S., projects with a Contract Research Organization in the U.K., and nucleic acid drug development projects with a venture company, gaining invaluable experience working alongside researchers across diverse fields.
Like many researchers, Yasunori also experienced challenging periods, such as project delays. To overcome this, he worked closely with project stakeholders, maintaining good relationships with external collaborators while driving the project forward. In addition, his broad career experience includes extensive involvement in Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) development and clinical trial environments, which have become the foundation of his strong leadership in the current team. Yasunori also believes that the addition of colleagues who initially began research projects alone, along with cross-departmental collaborations, created powerful connections that have helped propel projects forward.
The team pride themselves in having numerous expertise and specialties, enabling the creation of pipeline projects from the bottom up. The team’s dynamic is characterized by a blend of camaraderie and a culture of feedback and improvement, fostering an environment where unexpected discoveries and success can flourish. Mutual trust also makes the team highly dependable.
Yasunori reflects: “I believe that the connections among researchers, connections through data, and various other links create the foundation for developing outstanding medicines that bring life-changing value to patients. Every day, I strive to build many valuable connections.”
Yasunori’s approach to fostering bold ideas and multidisciplinary collaboration embodies everything we strive for in advancing breakthrough therapies. Stay tuned as we introduce more of our incredible Principal Investigators.
This article was originally published on Kyowa Kirin’s official LinkedIn account on February 24, 2026.
Pioneering the Future of Drug Discovery through Valuable Connections | LinkedIn
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