Kyowa Kirin’s
Three Focus Disease Areas
To achieve our goal of creating life-changing value, we believe it is crucial to understand the true medical needs of patients. That is why we conduct drug discovery research that incorporates the insights of our stakeholders, including patients and healthcare professionals.
We are also providing life-changing value to patients worldwide with XLH and CTCL. To maximize the impact of our expertise and networks in these areas, we have identified three priority focus disease areas: bone & mineral, intractable hematological diseases/hemato oncology, and rare diseases. We are actively pursuing strategic research and development in these areas.
With regard to XLH and CTCL, we are already engaged in global initiatives to enhance the value of existing treatments and expand patient access. In our focus disease areas—bone & mineral, intractable hematological diseases/hemato oncology, and rare diseases—we are actively exploring new avenues for value creation with the aim of delivering life-changing treatment options.
XLH: X-linked hypophosphatemia
CTCL: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Intractable hematological diseases/hemato oncology
For over 60 years, Kyowa Kirin has been developing and delivering therapeutic drugs for intractable hematological diseases/hemato oncology in Japan and internationally. In addition to our in-house development which leverages advanced drug discovery technologies, we actively pursue promising new drug candidates to expand our development pipeline. By drawing on the expertise we have cultivated globally and seamlessly advancing innovations from research and development to commercialization, we remain committed to providing patients with new treatment options.
Bone & mineral
Building on our research on bone metabolism, our company has established a unique competitive advantage in drug discovery targeting mineral regulation. We were the first in the world to elucidate the function of “FGF23” which regulates blood phosphorus levels, and this discovery led to the development of a treatment for the rare disease, X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). Today, while continuing to advance research and development of XLH treatments, we are also challenging ourselves to pursue new therapies for diseases that currently have no effective treatment.
Rare diseases
Kyowa Kirin has identified rare diseases as a focus disease area that aligns with our expertise. Of the approximately 10,000 rare diseases worldwide, 95% have no established treatment. Many of these conditions are chronic, life-threatening, and associated with significant physical and mental challenges. Their treatment also poses complex challenges in terms of scientific research, medical systems, and economic considerations. Therefore, we aspire to be a global leader in the treatment of rare diseases and strive to make a positive impact on the lives of patients, their families, and caregivers.
Visit the link below to learn more about Kyowa Kirin’s latest pharmaceutical development pipeline.
Enhancing Patient Engagement
Empowering Patients: Understanding True Needs and Developing Targeted Medications Through Real Opinions
Healthcare Café, a dialogue event with patients
In recent years, healthcare has shifted from a disease-centric approach to a more patient-centric approach (patient-centricity). In response, we have begun collaborating with patients and patient groups to develop treatments that are more accessible to patients. As part of these efforts, we have been hosting the “Healthcare Café” event in partnership with two other pharmaceutical companies since 2022.
This initiative aims to collect genuine insights into the needs and challenges of patients—insights that are often overlooked in traditional research. By engaging directly with patients and their families, our researchers gather firsthand perspectives on treatment experiences and quality of life.
Going forward, our company will continue to integrate the experience and insight gained through dialogue with patients into our research, with the goal of delivering life-changing value to patients.
Coming soon
