Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have signed a research agreement to investigate the molecular basis of diabetes and obesity and to develop new therapies for these metabolic diseases, which are among the fastest growing and most serious health problems today.

The three-year agreement, which totals $13.7 million, calls for collaboration between Takeda and a team of world-renowned scientists led by BIDMC Chief Academic Officer Jeffrey S. Flier. Principal investigators include BIDMC Chief of Endocrinology Barbara Kahn, Bradford Lowell, Joel Elmquist, Lewis Cantley, and Anthony Hollenberg.

Independently, each of the members of the BIDMC team is a leader in the fields of endocrinology and metabolic disease, having extensively investigated the molecular basis of leptin resistance in obesity, the cellular and molecular mechanisms for insulin resistance in diabetes, and the role of the brain to hunger and satiety. Over the past year alone, these investigators have published more than 45 papers in the world's leading scientific journals, including Science, Nature, Cell, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Takeda Chemical Industries, an industry leader in the development of diabetes therapies, is Japan's largest pharmaceutical firm and one of the 15 largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide. More than 1,000 researchers at Takeda carry out world-class research using advanced technology in such fields as human genetics, receptors, and enzymes.

"We are extremely pleased and honored to enter into this collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center," said Takashi Soda, General Manager of Takeda's Pharmaceutical Research Division "In choosing this partnership, we will be collaborating with one of the most prominent and accomplished groups of academic scientists working in metabolic research today. We were particularly attracted to the unique open environment of the Beth Israel Deaconess labs, which promote cooperation and synergy among the researchers."

Diabetes, obesity and related metabolic disorders are among the most pressing of today's health-care concerns: According to a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General, more than 50 million individuals - 27 per cent of the total U.S. population - are considered to be obese. Equally alarming, the incidence of Type II diabetes has increased by 50 percent in the past decade alone, affecting 17 million children and adults nationwide. The international statistics are no less dire: According to figures from the World Health Organization, the incidence of obesity worldwide increased from 200 million to 300 million individuals between 1995 and 2000.

"This collaboration with Takeda is a critically important step in helping to fulfill a fundamental component of our medical center's mission," said BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy. "BIDMC research advances benefit not only our own patients, but populations everywhere."

The BIDMC and Takeda teams have developed a comprehensive program directed toward the discovery of new drug targets and unique small-molecule drugs to treat diabetes, obesity and obesity-related metabolic complications.

Under the terms of the three-year agreement, Takeda Chemical Industries will have an exclusive option to negotiate a license to new intellectual property derived from the collaboration. BIDMC and Takeda researchers will collaborate on a number of specific projects designed to elucidate the biological mechanisms of diabetes and obesity, with the overall goal of discovering novel proteins and new drug targets implicated in these life-threatening diseases.

As part of the collaboration, BIDMC will gain access to Takeda's expertise in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery as well as resources to develop important core facilities at BIDMC including animal metabolic physiology, mass spectrometry and proteomics, the study of all proteins produced by cell type and organism.

Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the leaders in the world, Takeda is committed to striving toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a major patient care, research and teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of CareGroup Healthcare System. Beth Israel Deaconess is the third largest recipient of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding among independent U.S. teaching hospitals.