Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Singapore-based biotechnology company Gero PTE. LTD. announced on July 7, 2025, that they have entered into a joint research and license agreement to develop novel therapies for age-related diseases. The collaboration leverages Gero's AI-driven target discovery platform combined with Chugai's proprietary antibody engineering technologies to create innovative therapeutic candidates.
Partnership Structure and Financial Terms
Under the agreement, Gero grants Chugai exclusive worldwide rights for the creation, research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of antibodies targeting novel drug targets identified through Gero's AI platform. The financial structure includes an upfront payment to Gero, with Chugai potentially paying up to approximately $250 million in total if predetermined development or sales milestones are achieved. Additionally, Chugai will pay royalties on sales to Gero if products are successfully launched.
The collaboration focuses on creating novel antibody drug candidates using Chugai's proprietary antibody engineering technologies for new drug targets discovered by Gero through analysis of human datasets using their unique AI target discovery platform.
Technology Platform Integration
Gero's technology platform is grounded in physics-based machine learning and human data, enabling discovery of therapeutic targets and development of therapies that address age-related diseases and target the root causes of aging. The company's AI platform is specifically built to identify therapeutic targets that drive multiple age-related diseases and potentially aging itself.
Chugai brings world-class drug discovery capabilities, including proprietary antibody engineering technologies, to the partnership. The Tokyo-based research pharmaceutical company is committed to creating innovative pharmaceutical products that satisfy unmet medical needs.
Strategic Vision and Leadership Perspectives
"We believe that open innovation with external partners, including leading global players, is extremely important for achieving global first-class drug discovery outlined in our growth strategy toward 2030, TOP I 2030. By combining Gero's target discovery technology with Chugai's drug discovery technologies, we will accelerate the creation of innovation," said Dr. Osamu Okuda, Chugai's President and CEO.
Peter Fedichev, CEO of Gero, emphasized the therapeutic potential: "Our AI platform is built to identify therapeutic targets that drive multiple age-related diseases and potentially aging itself. In this collaboration, we aim to translate those insights into therapeutics that can help restore the lost function. This partnership with Chugai is an important step toward achieving Gero's mission: to meaningfully target the biological processes of human aging."
Addressing Unmet Medical Needs
Alex Kadet, CBO of Gero, highlighted the partnership's clinical focus: "We are excited to partner with Chugai, a leading pharmaceutical company, to unlock the synergy between human data-driven target discovery and cutting-edge therapeutic design technology platforms. Together, we aim to develop first-in-class therapeutics to address unmet needs of increasing number of patients suffering from age-related diseases."
Company Profiles
Chugai Pharmaceutical, headquartered in Tokyo and listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, maintains autonomy and management independence while serving as an important member of the Roche Group. The company focuses on research-based pharmaceutical development with world-class drug discovery capabilities.
Gero PTE. LTD., headquartered in Singapore, operates as a preclinical-stage AI-driven biotechnology company with a mission to extend healthy human lifespan. The company's approach centers on creating therapeutics against age-related diseases by targeting the root causes of aging through physics-based machine learning and human data analysis.
