Management Policy

Corporate Philosophy

By pursuing new possibilities for SLC transporters and developing innovative new drugs that address unmet medical needs, we will contribute to supporting people around the world to maintain good health and hope.

Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

Goals for 2030

First-in-Class drug discovery from a venture company

  • Obtaining approval of LAT1 inhibitor (nanvuranlat) as monotherapy for the treatment of biliary tract cancer
  • Pursuing LAT1 inhibitors’ potential as a new immune agonist and expanding into other cancer types, autoimmune diseases, and personalized medicine
  • Creating new drugs targeting unexplored transporters
  • Creating a platform for SLC transporter drug discovery technology and structuring continuous drug discovery

Management

Masuhiro Yoshitake (Max Yoshitake), President & CEO

Masuhiro Yoshitake
(Max Yoshitake)
President & CEO

Max was appointed President & CEO in December 2018. Prior to this, he held leadership positions in the global pharmaceutical business at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for over 30 years and served as Senior Executive Officer since 2007. While serving as Director of the U.S. office/laboratory and global business units, he successfully obtained FDA and EMA approvals for three pharmaceutical products.

Yutaka Fujimoto (Yuta Fujimoto), Director & CFO

Yutaka Fujimoto
(Yuta Fujimoto)
Director & CFO

Yuta was appointed CFO in July 2023. He started his career at ZS Associates and engaged in consulting for global pharmaceutical companies in Japan and the U.S. After that, he worked at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. as Director of Business Intelligence and engaged in global marketing and other areas. Subsequently, he started his own companies (Zpeer Inc. (Japan) and VetScope (US)) and increased enterprise value by 200 times in 10 years, eventually selling the company to a global venture capital firm.

Corporate Governance

Our core management policy is to continuously enhance corporate value by maintaining transparency with shareholders and other stakeholders and by ensuring efficient and effective management practices. J-Pharma has chosen a “company with Audit and Supervisory Committee” structure to match the scale and nature of our business and to promote efficient management.
J-Pharma’s corporate governance structure is as follows:

Corporate Governance

Director Board of directors

Representative Director President & CEO Masuhiro Yoshitake
Director CFO Yutaka Fujimoto
External Director Reiri Miura (SIIF Impact Capital)
External Director Sadashi Suzuki (Newton Biocapital Partners)
External Director Shinichiro Komoto (EIGHT ROADS VENTURES JAPAN)
External Director Kazunobu Nishimura (Shinsei Corporate Investment)
External Director Chair of Audit and Supervisory Committee Toshiyuki Mori
External Director Audit and Supervisory Committee Member Teruhisa Tajima (certified public accountant)
External Director Audit and Supervisory Committee Member Kosaku Kawaguchi (Lawyer)

History

  • 1993 Started fundamental research and application of transporters at Kyorin University
  • 1998 Identified LAT1, a novel cancer-specific essential amino acid transporter protein
  • 2001 Established Human Cell Systems Co., Ltd. (as an intellectual property managing entity)
  • 2002 Identified URAT1, a uric acid transporter, and clarified its role in the development of hyperuricaemia
  • 2005 Awarded Tokyo Cooperative Development Assistance Project for “Development of an anti-pancreatic cancer drug targeting a new molecular target”
  • 2005 Established J-Pharma Co., Ltd.
  • 2006 – 08 Awarded the Medical Device Practical Research Support Project funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation for “Development of drug for treating hyperphosphatemia” by J-Pharma
  • 2007 – 08 Awarded Innovation Practical Application Project from New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for “Development of scirrhous stomach cancer therapy” by J-Pharma
  • 2007 – 09 Awarded Molecular Imaging Research Program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) for “Development of novel molecular probes targeting cancer cell-specific membrane proteins” by J-Pharma
  • 2009 – 10 Awarded Innovation Promotion Project from NEDO for “R&D project and clinical phase 1 study of a novel phosphoric acid adsorbent JPH101” by J-Pharma
  • 2012 Awarded Venture Practical Application Grant Project from NEDO for “Clinical development of an innovative anticancer drug by inhibiting amino acid transporter” by J-Pharma
  • 2012 Awarded a Special Zone Leading Project Grant from Yokohama City for “Development of an in vitro diagnostic kit for triple-negative malignant breast tumor” by J-Pharma
  • 2013 Awarded Venture Practical Application Grant Project from NEDO for “Establishing POC of a novel anti-cancer drug nanvuranlat (Development code: JPH203) by clinical trials” by J-Pharma
  • 2014 Awarded a Special Zone Leading Project Grant from Yokohama City for “Commercial application of in vitro diagnostics for triple-negative breast cancer” by J-Pharma
  • 2015 Started Phase 1 study of nanvuranlat (Development code: JPH203) in Japan
  • 2017 Completed Phase 1 study of nanvuranlat (Development code: JPH203)
  • 2018 Started Phase 2 study of nanvuranlat (Development code: JPH203) in Japan
  • 2019 Concluded an agreement with Ohara Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for licensing and co-development of nanvuranlat
  • 2022 Completed Phase 2 study of nanvuranlat (Development code: JPH203) in Japan
  • 2023 Established J-PHARMA USA INC., a U.S. subsidiary

Company Information

Company name J-Pharma Co.,Ltd.
Head office Leading Venture Plaza 1,
75-1 Onocho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0046, Japan
TEL: 045-506-1155
FAX: 045-506-1156
Founded December 26, 2005
Representative Masuhiro Yoshitake (President & CEO)
Capital stock 80,000,000 yen (as of March 2024)
Accounting period March 31
Business description Research & Development of pharmaceutical drugs
Number of employees 17 (as of November 30, 2023)
Subsidiary J-PHARMA USA INC.

Access Map

Partner

Out-License

J-Pharma has entered into a license agreement with Ohara Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. under which Ohara Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. will file for approval and market our development compound nanvuranlat for the indication of advanced biliary tract cancer in Japan and Asia.

  • Ohara Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

    Ohara Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

In-License

J-Pharma has received exclusive patent licenses for JPH034, a compound developed by J-Pharma, from Osaka University and KNC Laboratories Co., Ltd.,. J-Pharma has also received a exclusive license to use patents held by Georgetown University for an amino acid transporter inhibitor for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (including MS). Under these agreements, J-Pharma is proceeding with the development of JPH034.

  • Georgetown University

    Georgetown University

  • Osaka University

    Osaka University

  • KNC Laboratories Co., Ltd.,

    KNC Laboratories Co., Ltd.,

Collaborative research

J-Pharma conducts drug discovery in collaboration with universities and research institutions in Japan and abroad.

  • Georgetown University

    Georgetown University
    (United States)

  • Kanazawa University

    Kanazawa University (Japan)

  • KitasatoUniversity

    KitasatoUniversity (Japan)

  • MAYO CLINIC

    MAYO CLINIC (United States)

  • National Center for Global Health and Medicine

    National Center for Global
    Health and Medicine (Japan)

  •  Nihon University

    Nihon University (Japan)

  • Tokushima University

    Tokushima University (Japan)

  • Yokohama City University

    Yokohama City University (Japan)