Alivexis

Alivexis, Inc., formerly known as Modulus Discovery, Inc., operates as a technology-centric drug discovery company with a presence in both Japan and the United States. Established in August 2016 by S. Roy Kimura and Kazuki Ohno, the firm was founded to efficiently develop pharmaceuticals for cancer, chronic immune and inflammatory diseases, and rare conditions. On March 11, 2024, the company rebranded to Alivexis, a name derived from "alive," "synthesis," and "exis," to better reflect its mission of fostering vibrant lives through its research and development.

The founders bring extensive experience from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Co-founder and CEO, S. Roy Kimura, has over two decades of experience in computational drug discovery, including roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Schrödinger, Inc. His background in biomedical engineering and postdoctoral studies at MIT underpin the company's computational approach. Co-founder and COO, Kazuki Ohno, contributes over 18 years of drug discovery expertise, including a decade as a senior researcher at Astellas Pharma. The leadership team comprises seasoned scientists from major pharmaceutical companies like Eisai and Astellas Pharma, reinforcing its network-based drug discovery model.

Alivexis's business model centers on its proprietary drug discovery platform, which integrates computational technologies with deep biological insights to accelerate the creation of small molecule clinical candidates. A key component of this is the ModBindTM simulation engine, a computational platform that predicts ligand efficacy with high accuracy and speed. This technology enables the company to advance its internal pipeline of over 10 proprietary programs and engage in research and development collaborations with partners. The company generates revenue through early out-licensing of its drug candidates and collaborative research agreements. A notable achievement includes an exclusive license agreement with Melodia Therapeutics for its Cathepsin C inhibitor, MDI-0151, a deal valued at up to $275 million. Alivexis has also entered into a research collaboration with Astellas Pharma to identify small molecule compounds for a new drug target.

The company's core service is the rapid design and generation of small molecule drug candidates for a range of high-value disease targets. By leveraging supercomputing technologies, advanced structural analysis methods like Cryo-EM, and a network of industry partners, Alivexis aims to efficiently deliver new medicines. Its focus areas include oncology, immune-inflammatory diseases, and rare diseases. The firm has successfully raised approximately $45 million (6.76B JPY) in total funding through multiple rounds, with investors including JIC Venture Growth Investments, SBI Investment, and Fast Track Initiative, Inc.

Keywords: drug discovery, small molecule therapeutics, computational drug discovery, biotechnology, oncology, immune-inflammatory diseases, rare diseases, preclinical research, pharmaceutical collaboration, ModBind, S. Roy Kimura, Kazuki Ohno, drug development, licensing agreement, venture capital, structural biology, Cryo-EM, bioinformatics, targeted therapy, clinical candidate