Debiopharm, a Swiss biopharmaceutical company aiming to cure cancer and infectious diseases, has launched the IDEAL Japan initiative, a new program designed to provide financial support to Japanese academic researchers in order to facilitate the transformation of academic innovation into novel therapeutic approaches for combating cancer.

IDEAL Japan follows the conclusion of the JCA (Japanese Cancer Association) Mauvernay Award in Japan, which honored Japanese scientists over the last 20 years, from 2004 through 2024. Debiopharm is now transitioning its award into the IDEAL Japan initiative aiming to accelerate preclinical scientific research that could give rise to new treatments for cancer patients.

“Our vision is to collaborate to find a cure for cancer,” explained Thierry Mauvernay, President of Debiopharm. “We believe that our ongoing Swiss-Japanese connection needs to evolve and catalyze the translation of scientific innovations into medicines for patients. We are transforming our award initiative into a program that can practically support academic Japanese innovation in oncology, potentially leading to new breakthroughs for people fighting cancer.”

The IDEAL Japan program is open to oncology research professionals that are members of the Japanese Cancer Association, allowing these researchers to apply for funding through a quick and simple process at any time during the year. Selected projects will be supported over a period of up to one-year, providing financial funding up to 10,000,000 JPY for research to be carried out. At the completion of the IDEAL project, Debiopharm will decide either to end the project or to enter into negotiation with the researcher and the host institution for a license agreement.