2026年07月22日
2026.07.22
By utilizing the “Drug Discovery AI Factory”—which discontinuously and systematically identifies previously unknown associations between diseases and target molecules based on existing literature—the companies aim to maximize the value of Nippon Kayaku’s drug discovery assets.
Tokyo, Japan, February 18, 2026 - FRONTEO, Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President & CEO: Masahiro Morimoto; hereinafter “FRONTEO”) has entered into a collaboration agreement with Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President & CEO: Shigeyuki Kawamura; hereinafter “Nippon Kayaku”) to launch a co-creation project aimed at maximizing the value of Nippon Kayaku’s drug discovery assets (pharmaceutical-related assets with business value, such as drug candidates, drugs under development, and marketed drugs).
The two companies began a proof-of-concept (POC) trial in November 2024, and following confirmation of the results, they have now entered into this full-scale co-creation project agreement.
This agreement adopts a performance-based structure in which additional compensation is paid when predefined outcomes are achieved, thereby establishing a co-creation model that is fair and highly transparent, based on actual research outcomes.
Objectives of This Project
Through this co-creation project, the companies aim to combine FRONTEO’s AI-powered drug discovery support service, “Drug Discovery AI Factory” (hereinafter “DDAIF”), with the expertise and technology in pharmaceutical research and development that Nippon Kayaku has accumulated over many years. By applying new perspectives to existing assets, they seek to enhance their potential value as pharmaceutical products.
Strengths of the Two Companies
Nippon Kayaku has identified four strategic focus areas—including pharmaceutical R&D—that contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. The company aims to achieve a “balanced management” approach that both strengthens and expands existing businesses while exploring new knowledge. As a concrete measure, it seeks to strengthen its competitive advantage by actively pursuing open innovation with startups and academia.
FRONTEO leverages the unique natural language processing technology and analytical capabilities of its proprietary Equation-driven Artificial Intelligence (Equation-driven AI) “KIBIT,” in “DDAIF,” an AI-based drug discovery support service adopted by a number of pharmaceutical companies, thereby contributing to improving the success rate of drug development and advancing pharmaceutical R&D.
Comment from Akira Masuda, General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories, Pharmaceuticals Group, Life Sciences Business Unit, Nippon Kayaku
“Through the POC project, I have come to realize that FRONTEO’s AI technology and the expertise of its digital scientists have the potential to open up new possibilities in drug discovery research. I believe the insights gained will serve as a crucial foundation for maximizing the value of our assets. Nippon Kayaku looks forward to further deepening our collaboration with FRONTEO to achieve evidence-based hypothesis generation and improved exploration efficiency, and to jointly advance future projects.”
Comment from Hiroyoshi Toyoshiba, Director/ Chief Science Officer (CSO), FRONTEO
“FRONTEO offers ‘DDAIF,’ an AI-driven drug discovery support service that combines our proprietary Equation-driven AI ‘KIBIT’—which excels in natural language processing—with the expertise of drug discovery researchers and AI engineers to support the analysis of disease-related gene networks and the generation of hypotheses for target molecule candidates.
The strength of 'DDAIF' lies in its ability to leverage AI to rapidly and comprehensively analyze vast amounts of scientific literature and, free from conventional assumptions and biases, enable the discontinuous discovery of previously unknown relationships between diseases and target molecules that have not been reported in existing scientific literature.
As the difficulty of developing new drugs increases year by year, we believe this project will not only maximize the value of Nippon Kayaku’s drug discovery assets but also serve as a potential solution to the global challenge of target molecule depletion. Through the co-creation between our two companies, we will contribute to both business growth and the improvement of patients’ quality of life.”
About Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd. https://www.nipponkayaku.co.jp/english/
Representative: Shigeyuki Kawamura, President and CEO; Founded: June 1916
Principal Businesses: Manufacture and sale of prescription pharmaceuticals, automotive safety components, resin materials, and pigment materials
Nippon Kayaku is a chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturer that has been providing products to meet societal needs for over 100 years since its establishment in 1916. By integrating and evolving niche yet outstanding core technologies, the company continues to provide products, technologies, and services that society needs.
As the Nippon Kayaku Group, the company has expanded its sales and production bases globally. Operating under a structure comprising three business domains—“Mobility & Imaging,” which provides automotive safety components; “Fine Chemicals,” which provides dyes, inkjet pigments, and inks; and “Life Sciences,” which provides oncology pharmaceuticals—it aims to contribute to solving social issues and create value that enriches the future.
About FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF)
[Reference: Initiatives with pharmaceutical companies and Academia]
https://www.fronteo.com/news/ddaif-list
FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF) is an AI-based drug discovery support service that combines KIBIT (patented in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea), an Equation-driven AI specialized in natural language processing, with the expertise of FRONTEO’s drug discovery researchers and AI engineers. It powerfully supports researchers’ decision-making in drug development through the analysis of disease-related gene networks and the construction of hypotheses regarding target molecule candidates. This service has already been adopted by multiple major pharmaceutical companies and has a proven track record.
*The technology used in Drug Discovery AI Factory is covered by a total of 21 patents held by FRONTEO in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea.
https://lifescience.fronteo.com/products/drug-discovery-ai-factory/
About FRONTEO, Inc. https://www.fronteo.com/en/
FRONTEO provides its proprietary Equation-driven AI "KIBIT" to support the judgment of experts in various fields who face social challenges day and night, and creates the starting point for innovation. Unlike general-purpose AI, its unique natural language processing technology (patented in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea) enables high-speed, high-precision analysis without reliance on training data volume or computational power.
Additionally, patented technology that maps (visualizes structure) analyzed information allows KIBIT to directly influence expert insights, and in recent years, KIBIT has been applied in hypothesis generation and target discovery for drug development.
Guided by its mission to enhance fairness in the information society by uncovering opportunities and risks hidden in collective intelligence, FRONTEO promotes social implementation in life sciences AI, risk management (including economic security, business intelligence compliance support, business intelligence professional support and legaltech AI), and digital transformation support (Alnetz Inc.).
Founded in August 2003, FRONTEO was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Market (now the Growth Market) on June 26, 2007. The company has offices in Japan, the U.S., and South Korea. As of March 31, 2026, FRONTEO’s capital stands at 915,057,000 yen.
*FRONTEO, KIBIT, and Drug Discovery AI Factory are trademarks or registered trademarks of FRONTEO in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea.
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