January 20, 2022
EPS Innovative Medicine (Japan) Co., Ltd.
Immediate Release

Notice Regarding an Agreement for EPS Innovative Medicine (Japan) to Start
Examining a Potential Joint Chinese Venture with FunPep Co., Ltd.
EPS Innovative Medicine (Japan) Co., Ltd. (“EPS Innovative Medicine”) hereby announces that it
has reached an agreement with FunPep Co., Ltd. (“FunPep”) to begin examining a potential joint
venture in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry.
■Purpose and Details to Start Examining a Potential Joint Venture
China is showing significant economic boom in recent years with a high growth rate. It has alreadysurpassed Japan to become the second largest economy in the world by GDP. China also has thelargest pharmaceutical market after the United States, which is expected to show even further
growth in the future.
The core segments of the EPS Group under which EPS Innovative Medicine operates as asubsidiary are primarily CRO and SMO businesses in Japan. This has allowed the EPS Group togain extensive experience and knowledge in the clinical development of pharmaceutical products.
The EPS Group first entered the Chinese market in 2001, solidifying its presence there as a pioneerof CROs and gaining tremendous development experience. In 2021, the EPS Group went on tolaunch EPS Innovative Medicine, which has fully ramped up its innovative medicine business inChina.
FunPep is advancing the research and development of functional peptides in collaboration with theOsaka University Graduate School of Medicine. In addition to the SR-0379 medicine to treat skinulcers, its powerful technological platform for innovative medicines is capable of discovering
antibody inducing peptides that have new modalities. FunPep has even built a research anddevelopment pipeline to commercialize these peptides as pharmaceutical products for the globalmarket.
Therein, EPS Innovative Medicine has entered discussions and negotiations with FunPep toward thejoint development of its promising antibody inducing and functional peptides in China.
About FunPep Co., Ltd.
FunPep is an innovative medicine venture company launched in 2013 for the purpose of developinga wide range of products built on the research into functional peptides done at the Osaka University
Graduate School of Medicine. The Company is advancing research and development centered upon
its SR-0379 functional peptide to treat skin ulcers as well as its antibody inducing peptides project(therapeutic peptide vaccines) which capitalize on its AJP001 functional peptide as a strength.
FunPep aims to contribute to society through the development of pharmaceutical products that help
improve patients’ quality of life.
About EPS GroupThe EPS Group is a healthcare solutions provider that has been handling all processes from drug
discovery and development to sales, marketing, consulting, and various other solutions since its
founding as a pioneer CRO in Japan in 1991. The Group broadening its businesses as well by also
engaging in initiatives to bring new value to pharmaceutical and medical device companies,
hospitals, clinics, and academia through efforts that include expansion in China and the rest of Asia,
big data and AI, and regenerative medicine.