Genome Pharmaceuticals Institute

Genome Pharmaceuticals Institute (株式会社ゲノム創薬研究所) is a Japanese venture company based in Bunkyō-ku, Tokyo. It describes itself as a university-originated venture founded by Kazuhisa Sekimizu, who serves as its research director, to return university research results to society. The company uses silkworms (kaiko) as a tester/model animal to conduct low-cost, rapid screening for pharmaceutical seeds and health food development. It discovered the antibacterial drug candidate lysocin E, an anti-MRSA agent with a novel mechanism of action, from soil bacteria using its silkworm screening model, and it also isolates and patents lactic acid bacteria with high natural immune activation for use in foods such as yogurt through joint research with dairy manufacturers.

Genome Pharmaceuticals Institute was founded by Kazuhisa Sekimizu, who serves as its advisor and research director, when he was a professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, with the aim of broadly returning university research results to society; the company describes itself as a venture based on a new industry-academia joint research model. In Sekimizu's research, the company established a unique screening method using silkworms as a model animal that is efficient, inexpensive, and considers animal welfare. Through this method, it discovered the innovative antibacterial seed lysocin E, which has a novel structure and novel mechanism of action and is under development for drug discovery. It also selected lactic acid bacteria with high natural immune activation and provided them to dairy and health food manufacturers, receiving high evaluations. The company states it continues to share Sekimizu's belief of delivering health to people worldwide.

A university-originated venture using silkworms as a unique, low-cost, animal-welfare-conscious screening model for drug discovery and health food development.

• Lysocin E

• Lactic acid bacteria with high natural immune activation

1. 1ゲノム創薬研究所 Genome Pharmaceuticals Institutegenome-pharm.jp
2. 2会社概要 | ゲノム創薬研究所 Genome Pharmaceuticals Institutegenome-pharm.jp
3. 3Genome Pharmaceuticals Institute (Japan)wikidata.org