Donation to the University of Osaka Foundation for the Future “Shimon Sakaguchi Research Support Fund”

We express our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi, distinguished Honorary Professor of the University of Osaka and Specially Appointed Professor, Immunology Frontier Research Center, the University of Osaka (IFReC), on receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine¹.

TOKYO, December 11, 2025 -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) announced that it decided to make a financial donation to support Professor Sakaguchi’s research activities and to contribute to the further advancement of the field of immunology.

Professor Sakaguchi’s discovery of regulatory T cells fundamentally transformed conventional wisdom in immunology, introduced the new concept of immune brakes to research, and led to developments in various fields including elucidation of autoimmune disease pathology, cancer immunotherapy, and regenerative medicine and cell therapy. Following Professor Sakaguchi’s persistent research approach, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to research with even higher ethical standards and passion as our mission as a pharmaceutical company, in order to deliver new treatment options to patients.

Details of the donation

• Amount of contribution: 100 million yen
• Donated to: The University of Osaka Foundation for the Future “Shimon Sakaguchi Research Support Fund” (in Japanese only)

[Reference]
Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement between Osaka University and Chugai
~Total of 10 billion yen contribution over 10 years to IFReC~ (Press release on May 19, 2016)
https://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english/news/detail/20160519153000_136.html

Joint Research Results on Regulatory T cells between Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center and Chugai Published in Nature (Press release on March 28, 2025)
https://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english/news/detail/20250328153000_1145.html

“Removing the breaks: RBPJ ablation in T cells boosts iTreg differentiation, stability and function”
https://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/research/20250327-0101.htm

Sources

1. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: © The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet [Internet; cited December 2025]
   Available from: https://www.nobelprize.org/