Forerunner Pharma Research

Forerunner Pharma Research (FPR) was a Japanese biotechnology company established in 2005 as a joint venture between Chugai Pharmaceutical and Mitsui & Co. The company specialized in genomic drug discovery, utilizing high-throughput screening and advanced genomic analysis to identify novel therapeutic targets, particularly in the field of oncology. In 2010, Chugai Pharmaceutical acquired Mitsui's minority stake to make FPR a wholly-owned subsidiary, integrating its discovery engine more closely with Chugai's development pipeline. FPR was instrumental in the early-stage research of several candidates, including those targeting Glypican-3 for liver cancer. The company was officially dissolved and liquidated in 2017 as part of Chugai's strategic reorganization to consolidate its research and development functions. Throughout its operation, FPR maintained a significant academic collaboration with the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology.