Chugai and Gero Enter into Joint Research and License Agreement to Develop Novel Therapies for Age-Related Diseases

• Collaboration to create novel antibody drug candidates using Chugai's proprietary antibody engineering technologies for drug targets identified through Gero's AI-driven human data-first platform
• Accelerating the creation of innovation by combining Gero's aging-focused target discovery technology with Chugai's drug discovery technologies

TOKYO, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519, hereafter "Chugai"), and Gero PTE. LTD. (hereafter "Gero"), a Singapore-based biotechnology company, announced today that they have entered into a joint research and license agreement to develop novel therapies for age-related diseases.

In this collaboration, Chugai will create novel antibody drug candidates using its proprietary antibody engineering technologies for new drug targets discovered by Gero through analysis of human datasets using their unique AI target discovery platform. Under this agreement, Gero grants Chugai exclusive worldwide rights for the creation, research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of antibodies for the identified targets. In addition to an upfront payment, Chugai will potentially pay up to approximately 250 million USD in total if predetermined development or sales milestones are achieved. If Chugai successfully launches a product, it will also pay royalties on sales to Gero.

“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 Chugai’s President and CEO, Dr. Osamu Okuda.

“Our AI platform is built to identify therapeutic targets that drive multiple age-related diseases and potentially aging itself,” said Peter Fedichev, CEO of Gero. “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.”

“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,” said Alex Kadet, CBO of Gero.

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, is a research-based pharmaceutical company with world-class drug discovery capabilities, including proprietary antibody engineering technologies. Chugai is committed to creating innovative pharmaceutical products that may satisfy unmet medical needs. Chugai is listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. While maintaining autonomy and management independence, Chugai is an important member of the Roche Group. Additional information is available at https://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english/

Gero PTE. LTD.
Gero PTE. LTD., headquartered in Singapore, is a preclinical-stage AI-driven biotechnology company creating therapeutics against age-related diseases with a mission to extend healthy human lifespan. Gero’s technology platform is grounded in physics-based machine learning and human data, enabling discovery of therapeutic targets and develop therapies that address age-related diseases and target the root causes of aging. Additional information is available at: https://www.gero.ai

Contact:
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.,
Corporate Communications Dept.,

• Media Relations Group
  Tel: +81-3-3273-0881
  E-mail: pr@chugai-pharm.co.jp
  

• Investor Relations Group
  Tel: +81-3-3273-0554
  E-mail: ir@chugai-pharm.co.jp
  

Gero PTE. LTD.

• Media Relations
  E-mail: media@gero.ai

• Investor Relations
  E-mail: ir@gero.ai
  

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