News Release

UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) Announces Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. as New Corporate Member

San Diego, Calif., June 20, 2019 - The UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) is pleased to announce that Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC), a member of the Otsuka group, has joined the CMI Industry Member board. Consistent with Otsuka’s nearly 100 year tradition, OPDC is dedicated to the research and clinical development of products that could have a major impact on human health with a focus on neuroscience, oncology, and cardio-renal therapeutic areas.

“Every day, we keep discovering new mechanisms, through which we as humans are interacting with our microbiome and vice versa. We are excited to welcome OPDC as our new industry member, given that their scientific focus and the key role of the microbiome with human health are so well aligned, especially in the promising field of gut-brain axis,” said CMI Faculty Director, Rob Knight.

The Center for Microbiome Innovation exists to inspire, nurture, and sustain vibrant collaborations between UC San Diego Microbiome experts and industry. The Center encompasses a large range of expertise in microbiome sampling, a broad range of technologies (metagenomics, metabolomics, metatranscriptomics) and data analysis using high-performance algorithms, machine learning, and modeling. The ultimate goal is to increase knowledge of the microbiome’s impact on human health and the environment with an eye to providing innovative solutions and treatment to major diseases as well as prolonging wellness.

“OPDC is equally excited to join CMI’s Industry Member Board to better understand and gain insights into the gut-brain axis, and the potential impact on health outcomes for patients with serious mental illness and other chronic diseases.” said Deborah Profit, Vice President, Applied Innovation and Process Improvement, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization.

About the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation
The objective of the Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) is to accelerate microbiome research and understanding, through partnerships with industry sponsors. Together we will develop novel tools and methods to improve human health and benefit the environment by analyzing and manipulating microbiomes — the distinct and diverse communities of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that live within and around us. This is a multidisciplinary center with access to all the latest omics tools (genomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, multiplex proteomics), processing hundreds of thousands of samples each year and analyzing and collecting data for some of the largest microbiome cohorts in the world. Applications range from human disease understanding, ag-bio, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, environmental research, to consumer goods.

About Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: “Otsuka–people creating new products for better health worldwide.” Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health.

In pharmaceuticals, Otsuka is a leader in the challenging areas of mental, renal and cardiovascular health and  has additional research programs in oncology and on several under-addressed diseases including tuberculosis, a significant global public health issue. These commitments illustrate how Otsuka is a “big venture” company at heart, applying a youthful spirit of creativity in everything it does.

Otsuka established a presence in the U.S. in 1973 and today its U.S. affiliates include Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). These two companies’ 1,700 employees in the U.S. develop and commercialize medicines in the areas of mental health, nephrology and cardiology, using cutting-edge technology to address unmet healthcare needs.  Otsuka’s most recently approved product in the U.S. is the first-ever treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, a  genetic disorder in which fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys over time, often leading to kidney failure.

OPDC is an indirect subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 47,000 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 11.7 billion in 2018.

All Otsuka stories start by taking the road less travelled. Learn more about Otsuka in the U.S. at www.otsuka-us.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OtsukaUS. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s global website is accessible at www.otsuka.co.jp/en/.

Media Contacts

Erin Bateman
Center for Microbiome Innovation
858-408-6610
ebateman@eng.ucsd.edu