Chugai and UCSF establish master collaboration for drug discovery research

Deal outline

Chugai Pharmaceutical and the University of California, San Francisco have entered a multi-year Master Collaboration Agreement to facilitate research collaborations in disease biology, target identification and development of new therapeutic approaches. An initial UCSF-led research project is already underway.

Scientific scope and platforms

Under the agreement, Chugai will contribute proprietary technologies — antibody engineering, macrocyclic peptides (SnipeTide™) and small molecules — while UCSF brings scientific innovation and translational research capabilities to advance early-stage research toward next-generation medicines.

Implementation and partnering

The agreement was developed by Chugai Partnering U.S., based at the South San Francisco branch of Chugai Pharma USA, and UCSF Innovation Ventures, which manages industry partnerships, technology commercialization and innovation initiatives. The arrangement supports Chugai’s global open innovation strategy and deeper ties with leading U.S. academic institutions.

Leadership statements

Chugai Executive Vice President Norihisa Onozawa described the agreement as reflecting the company’s commitment to open innovation and creating opportunities to translate science into potential medicines. David Morris, UCSF’s Vice Chancellor for Business Development, Innovation and Partnerships, said the agreement provides a faster, more direct way to bring UCSF science together with Chugai’s discovery and development expertise.