A Framework to Streamline Future Research Projects 

TOKYO and SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6/7, 2026 -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519, hereafter “Chugai”) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have entered into a Master Collaboration Agreement to advance drug discovery research. The multi-year agreement establishes a framework to facilitate research collaborations in areas including the exploration of disease biology, the identification of novel drug targets, and the development of new therapeutic approaches. An initial research project is already underway with a UCSF principal investigator.

Under the agreement, Chugai and UCSF will leverage UCSF's scientific innovation and translational research capabilities together with Chugai's proprietary technologies, including antibody engineering, macrocyclic peptides (SnipeTide™), and small molecules, to advance early-stage research toward the next generation of innovative medicines. The agreement marks a significant step in Chugai's global open innovation strategy and its commitment to building deeper ties with leading U.S. academic institutions.

The agreement was developed through close collaboration between Chugai Partnering U.S., the partnering function based at the South San Francisco branch of Chugai Pharma USA, Inc. (CPUSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Chugai, and UCSF Innovation Ventures, UCSF's office responsible for industry partnerships, technology commercialization, and innovation initiatives.

"This Master Collaboration Agreement reflects Chugai's commitment to open innovation and represents an important opportunity to advance research collaborations with UCSF," said Norihisa Onozawa, Executive Vice President at Chugai. "We believe this agreement will create new opportunities to translate innovative science into potential medicines by bringing together complementary capabilities from both organizations. We hope the research conducted under this agreement will help bring innovative medicines to patients as quickly as possible."

"Innovation Ventures acts as a catalyst for turning early UCSF science into real therapies, and partners like Chugai Pharmaceutical offer complementary technologies that can turbocharge that environment even further," said David Morris, MD, Vice Chancellor for Business Development, Innovation and Partnerships at UCSF. "This agreement gives us a much faster, more direct way to bring UCSF's science together with Chugai's discovery capabilities and development expertise."

About 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 Chugai Pharmaceutical.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is exclusively focused on the health sciences and is dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. UCSF Health, which serves as UCSF’s primary academic medical center, includes top-ranked specialty hospitals and other clinical programs, and has affiliations throughout the Bay Area. UCSF School of Medicine also has a regional campus in Fresno. Learn more at www.ucsf.edu or see our Fact Sheet.

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