News
GMO Internet Group and reverSASP Therapeutics Enter into Joint R&D Agreement for Therapies Targeting Age-Related Diseases
Sep 1, 2026
To Members of the Press
GMO Internet Group, Inc.
reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
GMO Internet Group and reverSASP Therapeutics Enter into Joint R&D Agreement for Therapies Targeting Age-Related Diseases
GMO Internet Group, Inc. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Founder, Chairman and Group CEO: Masatoshi Kumagai; hereinafter "GMO Internet Group") and reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Koto-ku, Tokyo; Representative director and CEO: Shinnosuke Tsuji; hereinafter "reverSASP") announce that they have entered into a joint research and development agreement dated April 24, 2026, aimed at developing novel therapies for age-related diseases.
To facilitate the research and development activities under the agreement, GMO Internet Group established GMO GLS1 Biotech, Inc. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Toshiaki Horiuchi; hereinafter "GMO GLS1 Biotech") on May 15, 2026. Both parties are now collaborating to advance the joint R&D program.
[Background and Purpose of the Joint R&D Agreement]
This collaboration combines reverSASP's experience and drug discovery technologies for age-related diseases with GMO Internet Group's AI and machine learning capabilities. Its purpose is to accelerate the development and practical application of a GLS1 inhibitor, one of reverSASP's pipeline programs.
[Scope of the Joint R&D Collaboration]
Under the agreement, GMO GLS1 Biotech and reverSASP will jointly research and develop the GLS1-targeting asset within reverSASP's drug discovery pipeline. reverSASP will lead these activities by drawing on its drug discovery experience and expertise.
GMO GLS1 Biotech will support reverSASP by applying the AI, machine learning, and big data analytics technologies cultivated by GMO Internet Group. Its work will include developing and optimizing systems to identify senescent and inflammatory cells in vivo, thereby making the overall drug discovery process more advanced and efficient through the use of AI technologies.
Shinnosuke Tsuji, Representative Director and CEO, reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
"By combining our extensive drug discovery experience with GMO Internet Group's AI technologies, we will accelerate the development of innovative therapies that address the substantial unmet medical needs associated with age-related diseases. Through this collaboration, we are committed to bringing new treatment options as quickly as possible to patients awaiting new medicines, their families, and the physicians caring for them."
Masatoshi Kumagai, Chairman and Group CEO, GMO Internet Group, Inc.
"GMO Internet Group will tackle aging, a challenge shared by humanity, by combining reverSASP's outstanding drug discovery technologies with our AI and management expertise. Through GMO GLS1 Biotech, we will provide strong support for R&D and pursue medicines that contribute to society."
[Application of Aging Research to Drug Discovery]
Recent aging research has shown that senescent and inflammatory cells accumulating with age contribute to the onset and progression of many diseases. These cells exhibit the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), releasing inflammatory factors that cause chronic inflammation in surrounding tissues.
This process is increasingly recognized as more than a feature of aging: it is a common basis of diverse diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, kidney disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. Targeting age-related mechanisms may therefore offer a therapeutic approach with benefits across multiple diseases.
[About reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd.]
reverSASP is a drug discovery startup addressing high-impact unmet medical needs by validating targets identified through basic biology research into human aging mechanisms, establishing proof of concept, and translating these findings into novel therapeutic candidates.
[About GMO GLS1 Biotech, Inc.]
As GMO Internet Group's core life sciences company, GMO GLS1 Biotech provides AI-enabled drug discovery support. It is conducting joint research using generative AI to identify senescent human cells and advance clinical applications, while studying in vivo GLS1 biology and the mechanisms of age- and inflammation-related diseases to support discovery and development of new drugs.
[Contact Information]
● reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
Email: info@reversasp.com
Contact: https://www.reversasp.com/en/contact
● GMO Internet Group, Inc.
Group Public Relations Department
TEL: +81-3-5456-2695
Press inquiries: https://group.gmo/contact/press-inquiries/
End
[GMO GLS1 Biotech, Inc.]
| Company Name | GMO GLS1 Biotech, Inc. |
| Location | Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8512, Japan |
| Representative | Toshiaki Horiuchi (Group Senior Managing Executive Officer, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) |
| Business | Drug discovery research and development targeting senescent cells |
| Capital | JPY 1 million |
GMO Internet Group, Inc. (URL: https://group.gmo/)
| Company Name | GMO Internet Group, Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market; Securities Code: 9449) |
| Location | Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8512, Japan |
| Representative | Masatoshi Kumagai, Founder, Chairman and Group CEO |
| Business |
Holding company (Group management functions) ■ Internet Infrastructure |
| Capital | JPY 5 billion |
reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd. (URL: https://www.reversasp.com/)
| Company Name | reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd. |
| Location | Mitsui Link-Lab Shin-Kiba 2, 1-17-8 Shin-Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo 136-0082, Japan |
| Representative | Shinnosuke Tsuji, Representative Director and CEO |
| Business | Research and development of new drugs |
| Capital | JPY 300,000 |
Copyright (C) 2026 GMO Internet Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright (C) 2026 reverSASP Therapeutics Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.