Ono Pharma Enters into a Drug Discovery Partnership with Aitia in Neurological Diseases TMCnet News [September 01, 2026] | / | Ono Pharma Enters into a Drug Discovery Partnership with Aitia in Neurological Diseases Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President and COO: Toichi Takino; "Ono") today announced that it has entered into a drug discovery partnership agreement with Aitia, Inc. (Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; CEO: Colin Hill; "Aitia"). Under the terms of the agreement, Aitia will utilize its REFS(TM) technology to build Gemini Digital Twins (GDTs) of neurological diseases and identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Ono will have an exclusive worldwide option right to research, develop, and commercialize drug candidates to the targets identified by Aitia. "Ono has long been committed to creating innovative medicines for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including neurological diseases. Through this collaboration, we are delighted to leverage cutting-edge REFS(TM) technology to identify true therapeutic targets in neurological diseases, where disease mechanisms are complex and not yet fully understood. We believe this will accelerate the development of innovative medicines. We will continue to expand our R&D pipeline in the neurology field and strive to deliver new treatments to patients," said Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer / Executive Vice President, Discovery & Research of Ono. "We are honored to partner with Ono, a company with a strong track record in the neurology field. By utilizing our state-of-the-art causal AI-powered REFStrade; technology, we are confident that we can build Gemini Digital Twins that uncover true disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets that could not be identified with conventional AI, thereby accelerating the development of new therapies," said Colin Hill, CEO and co-founder of Aitia. About REFS(TM) Technology REFS(TM) technology is a groundbreaking drug discovery platform developed exclusively by Aitia, utilizing advanced causal AI. By integrating and analyzing patient clinical information and omics data through causal AI simulations, this technology creates virtual patient models (Gemini Digital Twins), from which it is possible to predict new therapeutic targets and disease hypotheses based on causal relationships-something that conventional correlation-based AI cannot achieve. In particular, Aitia's REFS(TM) technology is expected to enable the discovery of previously unknown disease mechanisms and drug targets in the highly challenging neurology field, where disease mechanisms remain poorly understood. About Aitia Aitia is a biotechnology company that leverages its proprietary causal-AI REFS(TM) technology to build human data-based Gemini Digital Twins and discover new therapeutic targets and biomarkers in oncology, neurology, immunology, and other human disease areas. About Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. delivers innovative medicines for patients worldwide. Upholding its philosophy of "Dedicated to the Fight against Disease and Pain," Ono targets areas with unmet medical needs including oncology, immunology & inflammation, and neurology, and fosters partnerships with academic and biotech organizations to accelerate drug discovery. Through its affiliate, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Ono is accelerating clinical development and commercial operations in the US and Europe to drive global business expansion and further its commitment to patient care. For more information, please visit the company's website at https://www.ono-pharma.com/en. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901390619/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage] |

SOMERVILLE, Mass., Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aitia, the leader in the application of Causal AI and Digital Twins to discover and develop new drugs, announced today that data from its neurodegenerative disorders Digital Twins, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson Disease (PD), will be presented at the upcoming Society of Neuroscience (SfN) Conference, being held from November 11-15, 2023 in Washington, D.C.The presentation will focus on results from two Digital Twins derived from The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), The Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and Genetic cohort study. Specifically, Aitia Gemini Digital Twins for AD and PD together identified 20 genes related to cytoskeleton disorganization demonstrating a potential mechanism for patient variability in disease progression.Details of the abstract and poster presentation are as follow:Poster # PSTR445.19Abstract # 10057Theme: Network Computations: Theory and Modeling IPresentation Title: Genes regulating cytoskeleton organization identified as neuro-common drivers of blood NfL change rate and disease-specific clinical progression in AI driven Digital TwinsInformation about SfN can be found at https://www.sfn.org/meetings/neuroscience-2023About AitiaAitia is the leader in the development and application of Causal AI and Digital Twins to discover the next generation of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and oncology. By leveraging the convergence of multi-omic patient data, high-performance computing, and causal learning and AI, Aitia is revealing the hidden circuitry of human biology to identify novel targets driving disease and focused patient recruitment for clinical development. Aitia has translated those insights into its Gemini Digital Twins (computational representations of disease), which the company is using to discover new breakthrough therapies. Aitia's partners include six of the top ten pharmaceutical companies, leading academic research and medical centers, medical societies, leading multi-omic data companies, and patient advocacy groups globally

SOMERVILLE, Mass., Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aitia, the leader in the development and application of Causal AI and Digital Twins to discover and develop new drugs, today announced the appointment of Dr. Jean-Michel Gries as President & Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Jean-Michel will lead the company's AI-driven drug discovery and development strategy while overseeing Aitia's interdisciplinary teams focused on achieving the company's mission of discovering and developing breakthrough drugs in neurodegenerative disorders and oncology.Jean-Michel is an accomplished senior life science executive with a track record of innovative drug discovery, translational medicine, and clinical development, combining the science and business of drug development. He has overseen over 200 INDs in multiple therapeutic areas including CNS, oncology, inflammation/immunology, and ophthalmology. In his most recent role, Jean-Michel was the President of R&D at Hengenix Biotech, Inc