Takeda inks 20 billion yen, 10-year deal on iPS cell research with CiRA

Japan’s Center for iPS Cell Research Application (CiRA) of Kyoto University looks set to earn as much as 20 billion yen (around $168 million) from the country’s largest drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502).

Takeda and CiRA have entered into a 10-year partnership to develop clinical applications of induced pluripotent stem cells in areas such as heart failure, diabetes mellitus, neurological disorders and cancer immunotherapy.

The “Takeda-CiRA Joint Program for iPS Cell Applications” (T-CiRA) is designed to expedite multiple research projects for drug discovery and cell therapy using iPS cells. CiRA director Shinya Yamanaka, a Nobel laureate for his work on iPS cells, will direct the Program, while Takeda provides long-term funding, recommendations on research management, and facilities at its Shonan Research Center, Fujisawa, Japan.