The Jikei University School of Medicine, Research Center for Medical Science, Division of Regenerative Medicine (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Professor Hirotaka James OKANO M.D., Ph.D., and Senior Lecturer Hiroki OHTA, M.D., Ph.D.) and Veritas In Silico Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Shingo Nakamura, Representative Director and CEO, hereinafter referred to as “VIS”) have reached an agreement and signed a collaborative research contract (hereinafter referred to as “the Joint Research”) aimed at developing innovative therapeutics and drug delivery methods that fundamentally enhance therapeutic efficacy, reduce side effects, and decrease required medication dosages by efficiently delivering pharmaceuticals to target organs.

● Purpose and Role Division of the Joint Research
In pharmaceuticals, failure of active ingredients to reach target organs and their off-target action on normal non-target tissues can impair treatment continuity and patients’ quality of life (QOL). The Joint Research aims to develop novel therapeutics and drug delivery systems that maximize therapeutic effects while minimizing side effects by efficiently delivering drugs to target organs. This approach reduces dosage while maintaining high therapeutic efficacy.
In the Joint Research, The Jikei University School of Medicine will be responsible for establishing in vivo animal evaluation^*1 systems, evaluating therapeutic efficacy and conducting proof-of-concept studies for treatment concepts using these animal systems. VIS will be responsible for designing and synthesizing drug candidates for use in the proof-of-concept studies, as well as for conducting in vitro evaluations^*2.

● Research Representatives
Hiroki OHTA, M.D., Ph.D.: Senior Lecturer, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Research Center
for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine
Ryohei TAKATA, Ph.D.: Principal Investigator, Niigata Research Institute of VIS

● Term for the Joint Research
Three years from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028
※Note: The period has been retroactively set to begin from April 1 of this year to incorporate findings of the already commenced preliminary research.

● Comments from Hiroki OHTA, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Regenerative Medicine, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine
Our institution’s unique advantage is our possession of one of the world’s few specialized angiography systems designed exclusively for animals. This system is capable of producing high-definition vascular imaging. Furthermore, we excel in applying the “Ohta Method,” which provides comprehensive vascular access throughout the bodies of small animals. Through this collaborative research initiative, we aim to integrate these proprietary technologies with VIS’s pharmaceutical development capabilities to create an innovative therapeutic system that delivers superior treatment efficacy to targeted organs only, thereby adding significant value to society. We firmly believe that this endeavor will result in the development of next-generation standard treatment protocols, and we are dedicated to pursuing this challenge.

● Comments from Tatsuya SASAKAWA, Ph.D., Executive Officer and General Manager of Research Strategy Division of VIS
We are pleased to collaborate with The Jikei University School of Medicine to address the fundamental challenges our company has identified regarding nucleic acid therapeutics. We are proud that our technologies will be applied to innovative research under the guidance of Dr. OHTA in the Joint Research initiative.
This collaborative research endeavor will expedite the development of nucleic acid therapeutics by combining The Jikei University School of Medicine’s profound clinical insights, Dr. OHTA’s pioneering research and proprietary “Ohta Method,” alongside our conceptualized methodologies and drug discovery platform ibVIS^🄬.
This research project adopts a comprehensive approach to addressing various challenges in nucleic acid therapeutics. We are committed to advancing the genuine practical implementation of nucleic acid therapeutics in close collaboration with The Jikei University School of Medicine.

● Impact on Future Business Performance of VIS
The research expenses associated with the Joint Research will be respectively covered by The Jikei University School of Medicine and VIS, with no financial transactions planned between the parties. Therefore, we anticipate that the impact on VIS’s performance for the fiscal year ending December 2025 and beyond will be minimal.
In case any matters requiring disclosure arise in the future, they will be promptly disclosed.

● Glossary for Reference
*1 In vivo animal evaluation: An evaluation method involving the direct administration of substances into the bodies of experimental animals to assess their physiological and pharmacological responses and effects. It is widely used in pharmaceutical research and development to confirm the efficacy and safety of drugs and treatments.
*2 In vitro evaluation: An evaluation method conducted in artificial environments such as incubators or test tubes using cells or tissues derived from living organisms. It serves as an alternative to animal testing (in vivo testing), employed from an animal welfare perspective and for rapidly and cost-effectively elucidating specific mechanisms of action or screening candidate compounds.