About Us

Alivexis, Inc. is a technology-driven drug discovery enterprise with operational foundations in both Japan and the US. By merging state-of-the-art drug discovery platforms with profound knowledge of disease biology and a dynamic global business approach, we are propelling forward our distinct portfolio of small molecule drugs along with a variety of research and development collaborations. At present, Alivexis is dedicated to swiftly bringing innovative medications to individuals and their families grappling with cancer, both chronic and acute immune-inflammatory conditions, and rare diseases.

Managed by a team boasting broad experience across pharmaceutical and biotech sectors in Japan and the U.S., we embody a collaborative, network-based approach to drug discovery.

Origin of the Company Name

“Alivexis” is a blend of “alive,” signifying “life, living,” “synthesis,” representing “the combination of various elements to form a larger entity or concept,” and “exis,” meaning “to arise, to emerge.”
It was selected to reflect our hope that vibrant, healthy, and happy lives will emerge from our drug discovery platform and research and development activities.

Our Mission and Values

Alivexis is dedicated to fostering healthier and more fulfilling lives by integrating cutting-edge drug discovery platforms, profound understanding of disease biology, and agile global business operations.

• Global Teamwork: We value a trusting and giving spirit in our internal and external relationships; above all, we value each other in our quest to discover new drugs.
• Open Communication: We strive to maintain clear and open communication, remove unnecessary boundaries, and share our vision, strategy, and plans with everyone on our team.
• Diversity: We respect, value, and build on each other’s unique talents and backgrounds.
• Growth Mindset: We consistently encourage and promote personal and professional growth.
• Thinking Big: We are committed to making an impact in the world by revolutionizing the way new medicines are discovered, developed, and ultimately made available to patients.
• Smart Risk-Taking: We always consider different ideas and opportunities widely, and we are not afraid to take risks, celebrate successes, and learn from mistakes.
• Focus: We strategically focus and deploy all of our resources to accelerate the discovery of new medicines and facilitate their rapid translation into the clinic
• Passion: We are passionate about helping patients and their families and making meaningful contributions to our community, our partners, and our industry.

Management Team

S. Roy Kimura, Ph.D. — Cofounder & CEO

Roy has over 19 years of computational drug discovery experience, including 10 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Connecticut, two years at Variagenics, a personalized medicine company formerly in Cambridge, MA, and three and a half years at Schrodinger, Inc. where he was responsible for launching collaborative research projects with global pharmaceutical firms and top academic laboratories. Roy also previously served as Visiting Associate Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology where he lectured in drug discovery and biotechnology  entrepreneurship. Roy received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Boston University, and completed his post-doctoral studies at MIT.

Kazuki Ohno, Dr. Eng. — Cofounder & COO

Kazuki possesses over 18 years of drug discovery experience, including 10 years as a senior researcher at Astellas Pharma. During this time, Kazuki led numerous drug discovery collaborations with academic laboratories.  Kazuki also previously served as Visiting Associate Professor(Industry Youth Mentor) at Tokyo Institute of Technology. Kazuki received his Dr. Eng. From Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Yoh Terada, Ph.D. — CSO

Yoh joined Alivexis in January 2018 from Astellas Pharma, where he worked for the past 18+ years in various disease biology R&D and management capacities. He most recently served as Director at Astellas Innovation Management, the innovation scouting and operations group of Astellas’ R&D department in Cambridge, MA.  Prior to this, he worked at Mitobridge in Cambridge, MA where he served as the chief liaison to Astellas and established and launched their portfolio of discovery programs as Visiting Scientist, culminating in the successful closing of their recent $450M acquisition by Astellas. Throughout his career, Yoh has proposed and led over 25 discovery programs and delivered multiple IND compounds. Yoh holds a Ph.D. from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and a B.S. from University of Tokyo.

Taisuke Takahashi, Ph.D. — VP, Business Development and Strategy

Taisuke joined Alivexis in April 2018 from Astellas Pharma, where he worked for 13 years in R&D as Medicinal Chemist. During this time, he spent nearly three years as Visiting Scientist and liaison to Astellas Pharma at Mitobridge in Cambridge, MA, where he led multiple drug discovery programs with extensive use of global CROs. He has contributed to the delivery of multiple IND compounds. Taisuke holds a Ph.D. from Tohoku University.

Tadashi Nagakura, Ph.D. — SD, Research and Development

Tadashi joined Alivexis in April 2020 from Eisai, where he spent 24 years and held senior management positions in various departments including cardiovascular, renal diseases, metabolism and immunology discovery as well as ADME/Safety research. From 2010 to 2012, he led multiple preclinical discovery programs as head of cardiovascular research at the Eisai Tsukuba Research Laboratories. Many of the programs under his leadership achieved preclinical PoC and his teams delivered multiple IND compounds. ​Tadashi holds a Ph.D. from Tsukuba University.​

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Scientific Advisors

Jonathan Mason, Ph.D.

Head of CADD, Sosei Heptares, Scientific Advisor, Lundbeck

Computer-Assisted Drug Design

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Board Members

S. Roy Kimura, Ph.D.	CEO	Board Director
Kazuki Ohno, Dr. Eng.	COO	Board Director
Yoh Terada, Ph.D.	CSO	Board Director
Wataru Uchida, Ph.D.	General Creative Manager Specially Appointed Professor Head Office for Open Innovation Strategy Tohoku University	Outside Board Director
Tomohiro Anzai, Ph.D.	Fast Track Initiative, Inc.	Outside Board Director
Reiko Onodera, Ph.D.		Outside Auditor
Mori Naomi		Outside Auditor
Kohei Nakagawa		Outside Auditor

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Investors

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Partners