Anges. Inc.TSE: 4563

Notice of Joint Research Agreement on Zokinvy

· Issued by Anges. Inc.


December 9, 2025 Company Name: AnGes Inc.

Presentative: Ei Yamada, President & CEO

Notice of Joint Research Agreement on Zokinvy

AnGes Inc. has entered into a joint research agreement with OptimAIze Consulting Inc., an AI drug discovery startup originating from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Medicine (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takashi Sekido, hereinafter "OptimAIze"), regarding AI-driven drug discovery for "Zokinvy" (generic name: lonafarnib), which AnGes currently markets in Japan.

Zokinvy was approved in the United States in November 2020 by Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Inc. as a treatment for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) and Processing-Deficient Progeroid Laminopathies (PDPL). AnGes signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Japan in May 2022. In Japan, Zokinvy was designated as an orphan drug by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in March 2023, approved in January 2024, and launched in May 2024.

Amid rising drug development costs (averaging USD 1.24 billion and taking 10-17 years), "drug repositioning"-repurposing existing drugs for new indications-has gained attention. OptimAIze possesses proprietary AI analysis technology that predicts novel associations between existing drugs and diseases.

Under this agreement, AnGes and OptimAIze will jointly verify eight rare disease candidates preliminarily identified by OptimAIze's AI technology, exploring the potential for new indications of Zokinvy.

For further details, please refer to the attached document.

The impact of this contract on our business performance is expected to be minimal.

AnGes and OptimAIze Consulting Sign Joint Research Agreement

"AI technology identifies eight potential indications for Zokinvy; drug repositioning research begins" Accelerating drug development through AI to provide new treatment options for rare disease patients

OptimAIze's preliminary AI analysis suggests Zokinvy may have therapeutic potential in eight rare disease areas beyond its current indications. Through this collaboration, AnGes and OptimAIze will conduct detailed validation of these candidate indications and explore opportunities for new indication development.

  1. Background Growth of the Drug Repositioning Market

    Drug repositioning can shorten development timelines to 3-12 years and reduce costs by 50-60%, compared to traditional drug development. The global market for drug repositioning is expanding, with related publications increasing approximately 160-fold over the past 20 years. The rare disease drug market is projected to grow at a CAGR of about 12%, reaching over USD 400 billion by 2030.

    About Zokinvy

    Zokinvy, developed by Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Inc., is approved in the U.S. and marketed in Japan by AnGes since May 2024. Its established safety and efficacy make it a strong candidate for repositioning research.

    OptimAIze's Technological Approach

    OptimAIze combines medical database analysis, literature mining, and molecular simulation in its proprietary AI platform to predict novel drug-disease associations. This technology will be applied to Zokinvy repositioning research.

  2. Research Overview Objective: Validate eight rare disease candidates identified by AI analysis. Roles:

    AnGes: Biological validation, pharmacological evaluation, clinical feasibility OptimAIze: AI analysis, data science

    Expected Outcome: Provide new treatment options for rare and intractable diseases and establish an industry-academia collaboration model for AI-driven drug discovery.
  3. Comments Ei Yamada, President & CEO, AnGes Inc.:

    "We are delighted to begin exploring new indications for Zokinvy using AI technology. This initiative represents an important step toward delivering hope to patients with rare diseases."

    Takashi Sekido, CEO, OptimAIze Consulting Inc.:

    "Drug repositioning aligns perfectly with AI technology, accelerating patient access to treatments and optimizing limited healthcare resources."

  4. Company Profiles AnGes Inc.:

    A biopharmaceutical company engaged in research and development of gene-based medicines. https://www.anges.co.jp

    OptimAIze Consulting Inc.:

    A startup leveraging AI for drug discovery and healthcare solutions. https://optimaize-consulting.com

  5. Contact

AnGes Inc.: https://www.anges.co.jp/contact/

OptimAIze Consulting Inc.: https://optimaize-consulting.com/contact