Our people

What is the reason of joining PeptiDream and what do you find attractive about PeptiDream?

After obtaining a degree in molecular biology as a student, I have been engaged in the research of diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases at an academic institution. I decided to join PeptiDream because I was interested in developing therapeutic drugs while being able to work on research on diseases, and I thought I could apply my knowledge of molecular biology and genetic engineering to PeptiDream’s PDPS screening activities.

After joining PeptiDream, I am responsible for the screening and optimization of peptides by PDPS. However, not everything is that easy. In such cases, there are many things to consider, such as examining information on the target molecule and adjusting screening conditions, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when hit peptides are obtained under the screening conditions I proposed.

I think one of the attractive points of PeptiDream is that I can collaborate closely with experts in different fields, such as organic chemistry, computational science, and structural biology, as I proceed with my projects. I learn something new every day through internal collaborations, such as obtaining information on non-natural amino acids that are more suitable for improving the physical properties of peptides from organic chemists or receiving input from structural biologists and computational scientists to improve the binding ability of peptides.

Please tell us about your work and what you find rewarding about it.

The PDPS Discovery Group is the largest organization within PeptiDream and is primarily responsible for screening and optimizing peptides that are generated from the PDPS. Our group is divided into several teams led by a Director, with each team responsible for multiple collaboration projects. I am currently part of a 7-member team consisting of a Director, a Senior Researcher, and a Research Associate, and I am responsible for 1-2 projects.

One of my projects include a PDC (peptide drug conjugate) project, in collaboration with a partner company in the US. PeptiDream’s key role is peptide discovery and optimization, and the partner company is responsible for cell-based and animal studies. Together we are optimizing hit peptides through numerous studies and discussions. There are many challenging steps to achieve the criteria we are aiming for in order to develop this candidate compound into a drug, but I feel a great sense of accomplishment when we clear these obstacles one by one.

What is the reason of joining PeptiDream and what do you find attractive about PeptiDream ?

I was looking for a job at a pharmaceutical company and decided to join PeptiDream because I had a concrete image of what I would be doing after joining, including the work I will be responsible for, team structure, working norms, and working style.

I enjoy working at PeptiDream for two reasons- I can create work by myself and I am able to balance work and personal life. I worked on the purification of membrane proteins soon after joining the company, and in addition to my experience as a student, I was able to establish a new method by researching the literature and consulting with team members so indeed this is one example of creating work in a new area of research.

Since I started my career in research, I have not spent much time during the year-end and New Year holidays, but PeptiDream has a long year-end and New Year vacation (e.g., 12 days in 2022), so I was able to enjoy 3 weeks of winter vacation including paid days off this year. It is a good thing that I have a work life balance as this is important to stay enthusiastic about my research while taking rest when I need it.

Please tell us about your work and what you find rewarding about it.

I work in the Protein & Structure Analysis Group and our group’s responsibilities are purifying drug target proteins and visualizing the complex structures of candidate compounds and target proteins. Within our group, each member is in charge of one protein (theme), but for particularly difficult proteins, we sometimes collaborate with other members of the group so that we can take different approaches, hence communication within and outside the group is highly active. When the next compound is generated based on the structure I solved and better evaluation results are obtained, I feel that my research is directly contributing to the company's business and drug discovery.

I am also taking on the challenging theme of visualizing the structure of peptides and proteins using cryo-electron microscopy, which has emerged in recent years. Through these challenges, I am blessed to be in a research environment where I can strengthen my own research capabilities while at the same time contribute to PeptiDream's drug discovery research. Since joining the company, I have found these aspects rewarding as a contributing member of society and as a scientist, and there is a different sense of fulfillment working here at PeptiDream compared to the basic research I worked on as a student.

What is the reason of joining PeptiDream and what do you find attractive about PeptiDream?

While PeptiDream's technologies in peptide discovery is highly reliable and widely recognized in the industry, drug discovery using macrocyclic peptides is still in its infancy and I was attracted to the idea of pioneering such know-how and knowledge within PeptiDream. I joined PeptiDream with the determination to pursue unprecedented research, but this is difficult than I thought as I have only reached halfway. Our capabilities and R&D structure for optimizing macrocyclic peptides has constantly improved over the years and we are now at a higher level. When I look back at our progress, I am deeply moved, but there are many more challenges ahead as we continue our journey to perfection. I believe PeptiDream provides an attractive environment for those who want to challenge themselves in an untapped area.

What is appealing about PeptiDream is the opportunities to take on new challenges, the speed in decision-making, and our capabilities to promote drug discovery through collaborations with researchers in Japan and overseas, together with colleagues who have different backgrounds. Since we are working on an unprecedented area in drug discovery using macrocyclic peptides, we are blessed to be in a working environment in which we try to think out of the box on ideas to advance our research and respect various perspectives through working with diverse members. Although the drug discovery and development process are entrenched with a high degree of uncertainty and is incredibly challenging, I feel that being able to take on challenges in this environment is one of the fulfilling aspects of working at PeptiDream and has a positive influence on my personal growth.

Please tell us about your work and what you find rewarding about it.

The Medicinal Chemistry Group engages in a variety of projects ranging from exploratory research to late stage preclinical research. Specifically, our group is engaged in fast and accurate optimization of hit peptides for development. In addition, I work on small molecule development, PDC (peptide-drug conjugation) research with various payload modalities and PDPS technology development.

At PeptiDream, I can experience the entire process of drug development, from discovery to clinical development. I believe this is due to PeptiDream's collaborative business model, as well as its lean organizational structure. When a program dynamically moves forward by leveraging the strengths of the teams/members involved and achieves a criteria for an important milestone, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be a scientist.

What is the reason of joining PeptiDream and what do you find attractive about PeptiDream?

When I was a group manager of pharmacological research at a Japanese pharmaceutical company, I became interested in PeptiDream when I learned about a job offer to establish a profiling function at PeptiDream. Although I had left the front lines of research at my previous position, I joined PeptiDream because I was attracted by the opportunity to build a drug discovery research organization at a leading company in the field of mid-sized molecule drug discovery, a new modality that is attracting a lot of attention worldwide.

I am responsible for overseeing compound evaluation for a broad range of hits generated from the PDPS selections. We often see results that are on another level compared to existing products and competitors, and I truly believe the potential of our macrocyclic peptides. In 2022, our RI-peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) project rolled out and we soon began to realize the high potential of macrocyclic peptides in this area. The PDPS platform is a state-of-the-art technology and I think the peptide space is increasingly promising, both from the aspect of intellectual curiosity as a researcher and from the aspect of business growth potential.

Please tell us about your work and what you find rewarding about it.

I currently oversee the Pharmacology & Profiling Group that evaluates pharmacology, ADME, physical properties, formulation, and safety of compounds. The most attractive thing about PeptiDream is the opportunity to witness the practical application of this new modality of macrocyclic peptides. The results of my group's research activities are frequently evaluated by partner companies, and we have many opportunities to learn from their feedback, creating an environment in which we can conduct research with a healthy sense of urgency. I find it most rewarding not only to see the members of my group broaden their skills in such an environment, but also to open new doors of opportunity for the future of macrocyclic peptides.

We have built a profiling function from the ground up and have put in place a system for efficiently selecting candidate compounds. I would like to continue to expand and strengthen the Pharmacology & Profiling Group so that we can deliver new drugs from PeptiDream, both through our in-house drug development programs and in collaboration with our partners.

What is the reason of joining PeptiDream and what do you find attractive about PeptiDream?

I joined at the timing when the department responsible for business development (BD) was newly established at PeptiDream. I was interested in the opportunities to take on new challenges in the broad range of business development activities at PeptiDream, as well as its unique business model that focuses in the early stage of drug discovery.

I learned the details of PeptiDream's drug discovery platform (PDPS) after joining the company and was astonished by the number of partners we were approached from all over of the world and their level of interest in our cutting-edge technology. What makes PeptiDream an attractive place to work is the collaboration with scientists and people throughout the world. We are pleased to see the PDPS acknowledged in the world of drug discovery, as many global pharmaceutical companies have chosen PeptiDream as their peptide drug discovery partner. I have seen cases where companies come back to us to for an expanded partnership after a program has ended. Through these global partnerships, there are various opportunities to learn, from frontline trends in drug discovery to business negotiation tactics, despite being in Japan.

2. Please tell us about your work and what you find rewarding about it.

The responsibilities of BD include identifying new business opportunities, drafting and reviewing business proposals by considering various aspects such as scientific data, marketability, and business feasibility, as well as the R&D and financial capabilities of the partners through negotiation and communication with external and internal stakeholders. The partners range from large pharmaceutical companies to academic institutions and small biotechs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and each time there is a new challenge, but I feel a great sense of accomplishment when a proposal that I have developed with my team members is incorporated into the wording of a term sheet or agreement, and when we are able to reach a mutual agreement and conclude a contract with a partner.

Even after a research collaboration or PDPS technology transfer agreement has been executed, my responsibilities are to manage the alliance and to work on various issues that arise during the research collaboration. I provide support in cases such as publication of research results or filing patent applications, through working closely with scientists and multiple functions within the organization, including corporate communications, legal, and intellectual property team members. Contracts in which I was involved in the transaction become research programs, which in turn lead to candidate compounds, which in turn lead to another collaboration with a partner. I cannot create pharmaceuticals since I’m not a scientist, but finding new business opportunities, working side by side with members to contribute to drug development, and seeing it come to fruition brings joy to my job.