We will have produced new drugs focusing on the three research areas as shown below.
[Infectious disease] [Pain/CNS] [Frontier areas]

SHIONOGI focuses on infectious diseases and psychiatric and neurological disorders as our core therapeutic areas. In addition, we are pursuing new growth areas such as cancer and vaccines. In order to meet medical and social needs, we aim to provide total care for the respective disease, including our core breakthrough drugs as well as prevention and other measures. To this end, while focusing on its strengths in small-molecule drugs, SHIONOGI is researching to acquire new therapies such as digital medicine, and technologies to help with diagnosis and prevention.



Infectious diseases

Total Care for Infectious Diseases

[Tackle the world's three major infectious diseases] HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria

SHIONOGI, which has core competence in infectious diseases area, is promoting drug discovery research and development with "freedom from the threat of infectious diseases" as one of the important issues (materiality) that the company should aim for. We are conducting research every day to realize total care that meets needs, including acute respiratory infections and chronic severe infections.

One is the correspondence to COVID-19 in recent years, further research on pandemics that may occur in the future, and promotion of research that will help prevent future infectious diseases. These infectious diseases are life-threatening when they become severe, and their rapid spread from person to person will have a huge impact on society and economic activities. Furthermore, infectious diseases that are difficult to cure with existing drugs and emerging infectious diseases that are difficult to predict when they will occur are also major social and medical needs. In particular, the three major infectious diseases, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, pose a huge threat and challenge from the perspective of global health. From the perspective of the SDGs, it is hoped that the problem will be overcome as soon as possible.

To free from the threat of infectious diseases, SHIONOGI will promote the creation of innovative new drugs and take on the challenge of providing total care for infectious diseases through a variety of approaches, including diagnostic agents.



Psychiatric disorders and neurological diseases

Unmet medical needs for psychiatric and neurological disorders vary from patient to patient, and we are committed to realize a world where people can receive medicines and medical services according to each patients’ need at the right time. With this in mind, we work tirelessly to develop medicines for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Since drug development of psychiatric and neurological disorders is extremely challenging, in addition to conventional methods, we are actively seeking imaging and molecular biomarkers to serve as objective indicators.

  • Dementia: People with dementia often suffer from behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) as well as core symptoms, such as memory and learning disabilities. There still remain significant problems on the lack of appropriate treatment and diagnostic options, which are promoting us to conduct the research and development to seek breakthrough solutions and diagnostics for treatment and prevention.
  • Developmental Disorders: Mismatches between the diverse characteristics of developmental disabilities and the living environment cause problems in various life stages and affect the QOL of not only patients but also caregivers. In addition to pharmacotherapy, we are engaged in research and development of new treatment options, including non-pharmacotherapy such as digital therapy.
  • Psychiatric disorders: The causes and mechanisms of symptoms associated with psychiatric disorders are still unclear. We are elucidating the brain mechanisms behind the symptoms of psychiatric disorders and are working on research and development of the best possible medicines and treatment options for the symptoms that cause patients' problems.
  • Pain: It has been suggested that pain is strongly associated not only with the patient's physical distress, but also with a marked decrease in quality of life and presentism. We are working on research to discover pain drugs having a strong analgesic effect without fear of side effects. In addition, we will contribute to patients and healthcare professionals by promoting information provision and diagnostic research and development leading to the proper use of analgesics.


New growth areas

  • Cancer: Cancer is the leading cause of death in many countries and is a serious life and health issue. It often causes anxiety not only for the patient, but also for their family members and acquaintances. In addition, its long-term treatment sometimes leads to employment problems. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly changed the treatment of cancer, and the potential of the immune response to tumors has been gaining attention. We are committed to provide more effective solutions for individual patients by developping diverse and unique immuno-oncology assets with different mechanisms of action.
  • Vaccine: With the prolonged outbreak of COVID-19, it is desirable to provide an effective and safe domestic vaccine as soon as possible. We are doing our best to provide safe and reliable vaccines as soon as possible by using recombinant protein vaccine technology. We are also working to create intranasal vaccines that can prevent infection by inducing mucosal immunity, and to respond to new pandemics by developing universal antigen design technology. We will take on the challenge of creating vaccines that will free people from the threat of infectious diseases from a variety of perspectives.
  • Other areas: As we become a super-aging society, extending healthy life expectancy has become a major social issue. Diseases that affect health maintenance and quality of life and have no curative treatment lead to a decline in social activities not only for patients but also for their families. Keeping in mind to correctly deliver the solutions that will be needed in the future to patients, we are conducting research focusing on problems associated with aging. we are working research on host response control in the respiratory system with the aim of total care for infectious diseases and new innovation research such as hearing loss that leads to CBF (communication barrier free) activities.