Takeda and Samyang to conduct joint RNAi therapeutics research

Takeda is allying with fellow healthcare company Samyang on new collaborative research in the field of RNAi therapeutics.

The two firms will work together to discover and create novel DDS platform technology for RNAi therapeutics based on Samyang's biopolymer innovations, with Takeda set to offer an upfront fee, research funding and milestone payments.

It is hoped that the combination of Samyang's DDS expertise and Takeda's understanding of pharmaceutical research will lead to the creation of new drugs with high value.

The alliance will also take advantage of the benefits of RNAi therapeutics, a growing area of medical research that is expected to lead to more productive and efficient drug discovery processes in future.

Shigenori Ohkawa, executive vice-president and chief scientific officer of Takeda, said: "We are delighted to strengthen our pipeline in RNAi therapeutics through this research collaboration with Samyang, which has a proven track record in cutting-edge biopolymer-based DDS technology."

Earlier this week, Takeda announced a new alliance with Heptares Therapeutics focusing on the discovery of new treatments for new central nervous system disorders.