Visit to Ono Pharmaceutical

On Friday, October 13, 2023, The Science & Technology Diplomatic Circle Kansai was granted the opportunity to visit Ono Pharmaceutical’s Minase Research Institute. Founded in 1717 in Dosho-machi, Osaka, this institution is a beacon of pharmaceutical innovation, specializing in the areas of oncology, immunology, and neurology. We were warmly greeted at the main entrance of the venue, ant then promptly guided to a meeting room, where we had the privilege of being introduced to Mr. Toichi Takino, a Member of the Board of Directors, Senior Executive Officer, and Executive Director of Discovery & Research.

Gathered around at 2 p.m., our delegation was presented with an insightful presentation about the institute by Mr. Takino. We learned about the transformative role of human genome data and human iPS cells in the modeling of human diseases. Over decades, ONO has perfected their methods for analyzing the relationship between target molecules and diseases, which led them to identify vital biomarkers to evaluate the efficacy of new drugs in humans accurately. In particular, we were highly intrigued by Ono's production of Nivolumab, a breakthrough cancer drug. This innovation was made possible due to the seminal research of Prof. Takasu Honjo of Kyoto University, who received the 2018 Nobel Prize for it.

After the fascinating discussion with Mr. Takino, our delegation was divided into two groups for a comprehensive tour of the institute. This presented an exclusive opportunity to witness firsthand the cutting-edge technologies used in ONO to make significant strides in drug discovery and disease treatment. As the day ended and our visit wrapped up at 4 p.m., we returned to the meeting room for a concluding conversation and were then courteously guided back to the main entrance.

The Science & Technology Diplomatic Circle Kansai extends a heartfelt appreciation to Mr. Toichi Takino and the entire team at ONO for welcoming our members into their pioneering world of pharmaceutical research and development. We would also like to thank Marco Prencipe (Consul General of Italy) for coordinating this fantastic visit, which not only shed light on ONO's significant contributions to medical science but has also opened potential avenues for collaboration and mutual knowledge sharing.