Message from the President
O-Force company was founded on August 24, 2017, as a company consisting of two divisions: the Catalytide Institute and Minamikaze Pharmacy. The Catalytide Institute has discovered a variety of short synthetic peptides (named Catalytide) as promising treatments for neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein aggregation (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease). In addition, Catalytides are also promising therapeutic agents against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, IgA nephropathy, and a novel coronavirus. We have obtained many patents related to these discoveries and published numerous scientific papers. We are conducting development research in collaboration with a Japanese pharmaceutical company and the Kochi University School of Medicine. Catalytide Institute is also looking for new colleagues to work with us.
We look forward to working with you.
Toshifumi Akizawa, Doctor of Medicine
Our Dream
O-Force is a small company founded on August 24, 2017. It has two divisions, Catalytide Research Lab and Minamikaze Pharmacy.
Catalytide Research Lab' dream and mission is to develop a fundamental therapy for neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein aggregation. Catalytide (catalytic peptide) is the generic name for short synthetic peptides with enzymatic activity that we have discovered, and the Catalytide Research Lab conducts research in the Department of Pharmacology, Kochi University School of Medicine. There were only myself and Dr. Rina Nakamura, the director of the Catalytide Research Lab when O-Force was founded. In June 2022, we start a joint research with a domestic pharmaceutical company, and in 2023, Dr. Junichiro Inoue, former vice president of the Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, and Dr. Zou Suo of the Department of Pharmacology, Kochi University School of Medicine have joined our research team. We are aiming begin clinical trials within a few years.
Minamikaze Pharmacy is located in Tosashimizu-city, at the root of Cape Ashizuri in western Kochi Prefecture, and aims to be a truly community-focused pharmacy that can contribute to locals in the event of natural disasters, such as Nankai Trough earthquake. In addition to Minamikaze Pharmacy, O-Force hopes to open another pharmacy in Kuroshio-cho town, Hata-gun, Kochi Prefecture, where we have our head-office and also 33.4 m tsunami is expected to hit. One of the most important roles of this pharmacy would be to keep good inventory of medication to prepare the community for disastrous events.
I was not good at English and was worried about what would happen when I was invited by Professor Koji Nakanishi (deceased) to research at Columbia University School of Medici-old and coincidently was the same age as Ryoma Sakamoto. a local hero, died. I travelled to New York by believing in myself to live after the great man. After returning to Japan, I worked at Cancer Research Institute and continue my research as faculty at the pharmaceutical sciences department for the following 29 years. Fortunately, just before retirement, I discovered Catalytide, and here I am today. Our progress so far is largely thanks to Dr. Nakamura's hard work, and I can assure you that without her commitment, my dream would have faded away. Beyond my intuition and physical strength, and some luck, I thank many researchers I have met, who have brought me luck, and to my students, who have further increased that luck.
I am committed to devote my life to make our dream come true. One day, a new miracle drug is made from a tiny town at the west end in Kochi.
Founder Toshifumi Akizawa, Doctor of Medicine
Recent Posts
- 10/2, 2024 Discovery of small peptides (YS-RD11, YS-RE16) effective for Alzheimer's disease treatment
- 5/16, 2024 O-Force research members published in Biomolecules that a small peptide consisting of five amino acids degrades amyloid beta (Aβ42), which is implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
- 4/19, 2023 Nakamura et al. at O-Force LLC have shown that short peptides (GSGNR, GSGFK) prevent the aggregation of amyloid-β, which causes Alzheimer's disease, and improve memory impairment in a mouse model of the disease.
- 9/25, 2023 Recanemab has been approved by the MHLW for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; will O-Force's short peptide (JAL-TA9) in development be a safer and cheaper fundamental treatment beyond recanemab?