Interprotein Corporation

Interprotein Corporation is a Japanese drug discovery company focused on the design and development of modulators for protein-protein interaction (PPI) targets. Established in May 2001 as Inter Cyto Nano Science Co., Ltd. in Amagasaki, Hyogo, the company changed its name to Interprotein Corporation in February 2007. Its head office is located in Kita-ku, Osaka, with a drug design laboratory in Sagamihara, Kanagawa. The company operates with a capital stock of 100 million yen and is led by CEO and President Masato Hosoda. Interprotein's core expertise lies in analyzing and exploiting PPI interfaces to create highly active modulators. The company has developed twin platform technologies: INTENDD® (INterprotein's ENgine for new Drug Design), a structure-based drug discovery (SBDD) strategy for small molecules, and helix-loop-helix peptides, a conformationally-constrained peptide modality. According to the company, INTENDD® is built upon a different conceptual foundation from molecular dynamics (MD)-based docking simulation methods, generating highly active compounds with unique scaffolds. Its helix-loop-helix peptide libraries have achieved a near 100% success rate in identifying strong binders with dissociation constant (KD) values in the low nanomolar range. Interprotein positions itself as a solution to the challenge of drugging PPIs, a target class that has long been considered plausible but has yielded few authentic small-molecule PPI inhibitors on the market. The company notes that protein-protein interactomes predict between 130,000 and 650,000 putative PPIs, representing a vast array of potential drug targets. By leveraging its twin proprietary technologies, Interprotein aims to revolutionize drug discovery and unlock this sea of druggable targets. The company has established alliances with several pharmaceutical partners. It has a joint R&D and commercialization agreement with Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. for small-molecule PPI inhibitors targeting an endogenous ligand; a collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited for molecular design of small-molecule PPI inhibitors using INTENDD®; and a collaborative research agreement with Raqualia Pharma Inc. focusing on drug discovery for a specific PPI inhibitor in the pain domain. In April 2016, Interprotein signed a joint research and development agreement with A.I. Squared, Inc. to analyze protein-protein interactions using artificial intelligence for drug discovery. Interprotein remains a private company, with no publicly disclosed parent organization or stock listing. Its operations are centered in Japan, but its partnerships and scientific focus give it a global orientation in the drug discovery industry.

Interprotein Corporation was established on May 1, 2001, under the name Inter Cyto Nano Science Co., Ltd. in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. In April 2006, the company established the Saito laboratory in Ibaraki, Osaka. A significant turning point came in February 2007 when the company changed its name to Interprotein Corporation and initiated an IL-6 inhibitor program with Evotec AG. Later that year, in October 2007, it established the Sagamihara laboratory in Sagamihara, Kanagawa. In September 2008, Interprotein signed a comprehensive partnership contract with MARUWA Foods and Biosciences, Inc. concerning protein X-ray crystallographic analysis. The following month, in November 2008, the company relocated its head office to Kita-ku, Osaka. In February 2010, the function of the Saito laboratory was translated to a collaborative investigation organization and the Sagamihara laboratory. The head office was relocated again within Kita-ku, Osaka, in January 2011. A notable development occurred in April 2016 when Interprotein signed a joint research and development agreement with A.I. Squared, Inc. to analyze protein-protein interactions using artificial intelligence for drug discovery. As of August 1, 2023, the company's corporate profile lists its name as Interprotein Corporation, with a capital stock of 100 million yen, and Masato Hosoda serving as CEO and President. The head office is located at 3-10-2 Toyosaki, Kita-ku, Osaka, and the Sagamihara Drug Design Laboratory is at SIC-2-205, 5-4-30 Nishihashimoto, Midori-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa. Throughout its history, Interprotein has focused on advancing its proprietary technologies, INTENDD® and helix-loop-helix peptides, and has formed alliances with pharmaceutical companies such as Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and Raqualia Pharma. The company remains private and continues to operate in the drug discovery sector.

• Established Inter Cyto Nano Science Co., Ltd. in Amagasaki, Hyogo.

• Established Saito laboratory in Ibaraki, Osaka.

• Changed company name to Interprotein Corporation. Started IL-6 inhibitor program with Evotec AG.

• Established Sagamihara laboratory in Sagamihara, Kanagawa.

• Signed a comprehensive partnership contract with MARUWA Foods and Biosciences, Inc. about protein X-ray crystallographic analysis.

• Relocated head office to Kita-ku, Osaka.

• Translated a function of Saito laboratory to collaborative investigation organization and Sagamihara laboratory.

• Signed a joint research and development agreement with A.I. Squared, Inc. about analysis of protein-protein interactions using artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discovery.

A drug discovery company leveraging proprietary twin platform technologies to design highly active modulators for protein-protein interaction (PPI) targets, aiming to revolutionize drug discovery.

• INTENDD®

  A structure-based drug discovery (SBDD) strategy for small molecules, built upon a different conceptual foundation from MD-based docking simulation methods, generating highly active compounds with unique scaffolds.

• Helix-loop-helix peptide

  A conformationally-constrained peptide modality with libraries achieving a near 100% success rate in identifying strong binders with KD values in low nanomolar range.

1. 1Interprotein Corporationinterprotein.com
2. 2History / Company / Interproteininterprotein.com
3. 3Corporate Profile / Company / Interproteininterprotein.com
4. 4Alliances with pharmaceutical company / Business Overview / Interproteininterprotein.com
5. 5Interprotein Corporation (Japan)wikidata.org