Alchemedicine and Asahi Kasei Pharma Enter Exclusive Global License Agreement for HiSAP Lead Compounds
February 17, 2026
Alchemedicine, Inc.
Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp.
Alchemedicine Inc. (Head Office: Tsukuba, Ibaraki; President: Keigo Tanaka; hereafter “Alchemedicine”) and Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Yoshikazu Aoki; hereafter “Asahi Kasei Pharma”) today announced that they entered into an exclusive license agreement on February 3, 2026, regarding HiSAP lead compounds1 owned by Alchemedicine (a single undisclosed target; non-clinical stage; hereinafter “the Compounds”).
Under the terms of the agreement, Asahi Kasei Pharma acquires exclusive global rights to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize the Compounds. In return, Alchemedicine will receive an upfront payment and development, regulatory, and sales milestones totaling up to ¥41.3 billion, as well as royalties based on future product sales.
This agreement brings together Alchemedicine’s proprietary HiSAP™2 medicinal chemistry platform with Asahi Kasei Pharma’s R&D expertise and international business foundation as it advances its evolution into a global specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on autoimmune diseases. Through this partnership, the two companies aim to deliver new therapeutic options for intractable diseases and to foster sustainable growth for both organizations.
Under the agreement, Asahi Kasei Pharma will further evaluate potential therapeutic indications, which are expected to include autoimmune diseases based on the mechanism of the Compounds.
Both companies will continue working toward the creation of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in severe and refractory diseases.
- About Alchemedicine, Inc.
- Alchemedicine is focused on the discovery of small-molecule drugs using the proprietary HiSAP™ medicinal chemistry platform under a vision of “We successively discover life changing treatments for various diseases that make a lasting positive contribution to society.” Alchemedicine uses HiSAP™ to quickly create drug candidate compounds with improved efficacy and safety. As HiSAP™ has a broad range of applicability, Alchemedicine simultaneously performs R&D in various different therapeutic areas. To learn more, visit https://alchemedicine.com/en/
- About Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation
- In accordance with the Asahi Kasei Pharma Mission of “to sincerely care for each individual life and solve their unmet medical needs with a wealth of ideas and solid science,” Asahi Kasei Pharma operates a pharmaceuticals business in the Healthcare sector of the Asahi Kasei Group. Asahi Kasei Pharma has developed numerous innovative drugs in the field of immunology, severe infections, transplantation, renal diseases, orthopedics, etc., contributing to society by providing such products to patients who suffer from diseases. To learn more, visit https://www.asahikasei-pharma.co.jp/en/
- 1HiSAP lead compounds which are novel and meet Alchemedicine’s internal criteria for pharmacology, DMPK, safety, physicochemical properties and potential patentability.
- 2HiSAP™ is a medicinal chemistry platform comprised of over 35,000 novel core structures (HiSAP Core Structures) and an in-silico compound-design support system (HiSAPort System). HiSAP™ enables rapid improvement of efficacy and/or safety issues of existing bioactive compounds across a broad range of therapeutic areas, sustaining desirable drug profiles.