#Japan #Osaka #AI Drug Discovery #Zeureka #Funpep

Zeureka Partners with Funpep for AI Drug Discovery

In an exciting development in the world of pharmaceutical innovation, Zeureka Co., Ltd., a fully-owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., has officially signed a consulting contract with Funpep Co., Ltd., based in Ibaraki City, Osaka. This partnership aims to enhance the process of AI-driven drug discovery focused on special peptides, which include non-natural amino acid cyclic peptides.

Zeureka uses its advanced supercomputers and computational drug discovery technologies to support Funpep with a variety of AI drug discovery services. These services range from proposing optimized ligand-protein complex structures to conducting ultra-large-scale virtual screenings, showcasing the power of AI in revolutionizing pharmaceutical research.

Funpep, on its part, is on an ambitious journey to address societal challenges through innovative product development based on its proprietary peptide technology. The company is actively advancing its antibody-inducing peptide (peptide therapeutic vaccine) project featuring the functional peptide “AJP001” and is also progressing in its research focused on the functional peptide “SR-0379.” As part of this evolution, Funpep aims to broaden its research into special peptide drug discovery, which is emerging as a next-generation modality in drug development.

Starting from August 2024, Zeureka plans to implement AI drug discovery support for antibody-inducing peptides under a research contract with Funpep. Additionally, they will also share their expertise in AI drug discovery technologies and peptides to assist Funpep in their special peptide drug research. The two companies are looking to sign a joint research contract in the later stages of this project to further enhance their collaborative efforts.

Zeureka boasts a team of experts with high specialization in the peptide field, all set to expand their drug discovery support capabilities further. By providing sophisticated computational drug discovery solutions and a high-speed computation environment, Zeureka aspires to significantly improve both the efficiency and success rate of drug research going forward.

Understanding Special Peptides

Special peptides, which are cyclic peptides containing non-natural amino acids, fall into a unique category of drug modalities. They bridge the gap between small molecules (around 500 Da) and large molecules (such as antibodies, which can be about 150,000 Da), offering an opportunity to target molecules that traditional small molecule drugs cannot. Additionally, special peptide drugs demonstrate heightened stability and tissue permeability compared to larger counterparts, enabling the exploration of previously unattainable drug targets.

Company Profiles

Funpep Co., Ltd.

• - Location: 7-15, Sai-to Asagi 7 Chome, Ibaraki City, Osaka
• - CEO: Minoru Miyoshi
• - Established: October 2013
• - Business Focus: Development of next-generation vaccines, specifically antibody-inducing peptides, as well as pharmaceuticals that utilize functional peptides targeting skin ulcers.
• - Website: Funpep

Zeureka Co., Ltd.

• - Location: 2-2, Toranomon 3 Chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo
• - CEO: Akiko Mutai
• - Established: November 2021
• - Ownership: 100% Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
• - Business Focus: Providing AI drug discovery support services and computational environments (supercomputers) for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including promotion of joint research and development for drug discovery purposes.
• - Website: Zeureka

This partnership between Zeureka and Funpep signals a promising evolution in the realm of AI-driven drug discovery and specialized peptide research.