NEWS RELEASE
Axcelead and Teijin Jointly Established Axcelead Tokyo West Partners, Inc.,the Drug Discovery Support Service JVTokyo, Japan, April 1, 2024 ---Axcelead, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Yoshinori
Ikeura; hereinafter "Axcelead") and Teijin Limited (Headquarters: Kita-koi, Osaka; President: Akimoto
Uchikawa; hereinafter "Teijin") announced today that they have established the joint venture company
Axcelead Tokyo West Partners, Inc. (Headquarters: Hino City, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kengo
Okada; hereinafter "Axcelead TWP"), in which both companies have been preparing for establishment,and commenced operations.
Background and Overview(1) Recently, against the backdrop of the increasing complexity and sophistication of drug discovery
research overseas, there has been a trend towards the horizontal division of research functions,
including non-clinical research, and the expansion of new forms of drug discovery research support
services.
(2) Axcelead and Teijin have envisioned the establishment of a new joint venture company to respondto the expected increase in demand for drug discovery research support both domestically andinternationally. In February 2023, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding for theestablishment of the company, and in June of the same year, they reached agreements onmanagement considerations such as organizational structure and shareholding ratios, andsubsequently signed the final contract for establishment.
(3) Subsequently, both companies have proceeded with the transfer of management bases and theorganization structure, and today, they have reached the establishment of the joint venture company
and the commencement of operations.
Overview of the Established Joint Venture Company(1) Axcelead TWP is a joint venture company in which Axcelead holds 51% and Teijin holds 49% of
the shares, with both companies owning all shares.
(2) Leveraging the drug discovery research functions of Teijin Pharma Limited (Headquarters:
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masaki Taneda; hereinafter "Teijin Pharma"), a subsidiary of Teijin, asa core management resource including technology, facilities and equipment, and personnel,
combined with Axcelead's immense knowledge and technology as a drug discovery solution provider,it aims to have a unique business foundation.
(3) The main business activities include supporting drug discovery research activities such as target
selection for drug discovery, acquisition of new drug candidate compounds, and related synthesis,pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and safety.
(4) Hereafter, it will aim to grow as a comprehensive support service company in drug discovery byincorporating the needs of drug discovery players both domestically and internationally.
Comments from Related Parties■ Yoshinori Ikeura, President and CEO of Axcelead, Inc.
"Horizontal division of drug discovery research has been progressing in the pharmaceutical industry

overseas, and a similar trend is emerging in Japan. With the addition of Axcelead TWP to the Axcelead
group, we will expand our drug discovery capabilities and capacity, making the Axcelead group's drug
discovery platform more solid. By contributing to solving the challenges of drug discovery research
faced by drug discovery players, we will enhance our presence domestically and internationally,
supporting innovation as the most trusted innovative healthcare platform around the world."■ Akimoto Uchikawa, President and CEO of Teijin Limited"We expect that the new joint venture company, leveraging the foundation of drug discovery researchthat Teijin has cultivated, will contribute to improving the quality of life for people around the world asa platform supporting the drug discovery ecosystem not only in Japan but also worldwide. Teijin andTeijin Pharma will aim to create innovative pharmaceuticals by utilizing the drug discovery platformand ecosystem."■ Kengo Okada, Representative Director of Axcelead TWP"I am pleased that we have established Axcelead TWP as planned today and have started operations.
We will collaborate with Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc., another drug discovery support
company within the Axcelead group, to meet the diverse needs of drug discovery players and provide
high-quality solutions. We will strengthen and expand the Axcelead group's drug discovery platformbusiness foundation and connect growth by incorporating the increasing demand from drug discovery
players both domestically and internationally."【Overview of the Joint Venture】
Name of the company

Axcelead Tokyo West Partners, Inc.

Representative Director

Kengo Okada

Headquarters

4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino-shi, Tokyo

Date of establishment
and commencement of Scheduled on April 1, 2024
business
Number of Employees
Business Activities
Ownership Structure
Official Website

Approximately 120 (as of April 1, 2024)
Advisory and commissioned business related to healthcare research,
mainly drug discovery research
51% Axcelead
49% Teijin
https://www.axcelead-twp.com/en/

About Axcelead
Axcelead represents a holding company as healthcare platformer which owns a group of companies which
are developing a world-class healthcare platform for drug discovery. Axcelead DDP, Japan’s first integrated
drug discovery CRO, functions as the core company of the Axcelead group that took over Takeda
Pharmaceutical Company Limited's drug discovery platform business in 2017. ARCALIS has becomeJapan's only one-stop mRNA contract drug development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).
Axcelead also owns A-Digital which develops a drug discovery digital platform to increase drug discovery
efficacy by 100 times, and the American company, PassPort Technologies, Inc. in San Diego, California(“PassPort”). PassPort is a company that develops combination products of active pharmaceuticalingredients and medical devices based on next-generation transdermal drug delivery technology. Axceleadwill promote the drug discovery ecosystem in Japan and will make various contributions to healthcare
broadly and globally.
For more information on Axcelead, please visit the company’s website at https://www.axcelead-hd.com

About the Teijin GroupTeijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the fields ofenvironmental value; safety, security and disaster mitigation; and demographic change and increased
health consciousness. Originally established as Japan's first rayon manufacturer in 1918, Teijin hasevolved into a unique enterprise encompassing three core business domains: high-performancematerials including aramid, carbon fibers and composites, and also resin and plastic processing, films,
polyester fibers and products converting; healthcare including pharmaceuticals and home healthcare
equipment for bone/joint, respiratory and cardiovascular/metabolic diseases, nursing care and presymptomatic healthcare; and IT including B2B solutions for medical, corporate and public systems aswell as packaged software and B2C online services for digital entertainment. Deeply committed to its
stakeholders, as expressed in the brand statement “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions,” Teijin aims
to be a company that supports the society of the future. The group comprises some 170 companies
and employs some 20,000 people across 20 countries worldwide. Teijin posted consolidated sales ofJPY 1,018.8 billion (USD 7.6 billion) and total assets of JPY 1,242.4 billion (USD 9.2 billion) in thefiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
Press Contact
Investor and Public Relations Department
Corporate Communications Department
Axcelead, Inc.
contact@axcelead-hd.com
Teijin Limited
pr@teijin.co.jp