Debiopharm, the Life Science pole of the Après-demain group, is transforming its long-standing support in Japan into an innovation accelerator for the research against cancer. The highly respected JCA-Mauvernay Award, which has recognized Japanese scientific excellence for two décades (2004-2024), is evolving to become the IDEAL Japan initiative.
SWISS-BASED DEBIOPHARM SEEKS TO BOOST INNOVATION IN JAPANESE CANCER RESEARCH THROUGH THE NEW “IDEAL JAPAN” PROGRAM
Lausanne, Switzerland – November 18, 2025 – Debiopharm (www.debiopharm.com), a Swiss biopharmaceutical company aiming to cure cancer and infectious diseases, today announces a strategic shift in its support for Japanese research. After 20 years of the prestigious JCA (Japanese Cancer Association) Mauvernay Award in Japan, Debiopharm is now transitioning its longstanding support for Japanese research to the new IDEAL Japan initiative.
The “Innovation Debiopharm Academia Life Science” (IDEAL) program is designed to financially and scientifically support academic research with the goal of accelerating the translation of innovation into novel therapies for patients.
The first IDEAL Japan agreement was signed with the National Cancer Center Japan Research Institute Laboratory of Genome Stability Maintenance to advance research in early-stage colon cancer
« Our vision is to collaborate to find a cure for cancer » explained Thierry Mauvernay, President of Debiopharm. « We believe that our ongoing Swiss-Japanese connection needs to evolve and catalyze the translation of scientific innovations into medicines for patients. We are transforming our award initiative into a program that can practically support academic Japanese innovation in oncology, potentially leading to new breakthroughs for people fighting cancer. »
The IDEAL Japan program is open to oncology research professionals that are members of the Japanese Cancer Association, allowing these researchers to apply for funding through a quick and simple process at any time during the year. Selected projects will be supported over a period of up to one-year, providing financial funding up to 10,000,000 JPY (around CHF 50’000.-) for research to be carried out.
“We’re thrilled to support the National Cancer Center Japan in their quest to unravel genetic alterations of certain colorectal cancers and to exploit those genetic vulnerabilities in order to develop highly advanced medicines“, expressed Frederic Levy, Chief Scientific Officer. “We hope that our IDEAL Japan program will efficiently support the journey of important discovery analysis in oncology on the road towards a cure“.
At the completion of the IDEAL project, Debiopharm will decide either to end the project or to enter into negotiation with the researcher and the host institution for a license agreement.