Taiho Pharma forms Taiho Ventures to foster oncology biotech start-ups

Japan-based oncology specialist Taiho Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Otsuka (TYO: 4768), has established Taiho Ventures LLC, a strategic corporate venture capital arm of TPC, in California, USA.

Taiho Ventures will be investing globally in the start-up companies that discover and develop innovative therapeutic products and/or drug-enabling platform technologies that demonstrate a clear potential to benefit cancer patients. With the support of Taiho’s established expertise in the field of oncology product discovery and development, Taiho Ventures will provide financial resources and company outreach to build strategic alliances to help translate novel research and high potential drug candidates into cornerstone products.

Initial pooled investment amount of $50 million

Initially, Taiho Ventures will make investments from the pooled amount of $50million.

In June 2014, TPC committed to invest $30million in Remiges BioPharma Fund and through Remiges’ well-connected US-Japan cross border investment team, Taiho has been tapping into the US/Europe biotech start-up community to catalyze the company’s R&D.