Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it entered into a five-year, university-wide strategic research alliance agreement with Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA; "Harvard") aiming at validating novel therapeutic targets. In this alliance, as part of ongoing open innovation initiative to collaborate with external partners, the request for proposals will be for research projects focused on the validation of novel therapeutic targets from labs across Harvard University in Ono's priority research areas of oncology, immunology, neurology, and specialty with high unmet medical needs. Working together with Harvard's Office of Technology Development (OTD), Ono will support and fund research projects that are jointly selected.

With the combined expertise and resources of both Ono and Harvard, this strategic alliance will promote innovative drug discovery efforts. Ono has been dedicated to the drug discovery and development of innovative drugs, focusing on priority areas of oncology, Immunology, neurology, and specialized areas to fulfill unmet medical needs. Ono has generated a number of innovative medicines, by proactively promoting "open innovation" by working with external partners.

Through unique drug discovery approach based on open innovation, will be committed to creating innovative drugs.