What AlphaNavi Pharma does

AlphaNavi Pharma株式会社 (AlphaNavi Pharma Inc.) is a Japanese clinical-stage biotech venture founded in January 2019 and headquartered in Suita, Osaka, with research operations in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto. The company develops non-opioid analgesic drugs based on selective voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) inhibitors for treatment-resistant rare pain diseases, with particular focus on familial infantile episodic limb pain syndrome (a rare SCN11A/Nav1.9 mutation-driven pediatric pain disorder) and peripheral neuropathic pain. Its pipeline comprises three assets: ANP-230, a selective Nav1.7/Nav1.8/Nav1.9 inhibitor that has completed Phase 1 studies in the US, UK, and Japan and is in a Phase 1/2 trial in Japan for familial infantile episodic limb pain; ANP-390, a selective Nav1.7 inhibitor with anti-itch activity; and DSP-3905, a selective Nav1.7 antagonist for neuropathic pain licensed worldwide from Sumitomo Pharma in October 2023. ANP-230 is described as the only published clinical-stage compound that inhibits Nav1.9, and all candidates are positioned around peripheral selectivity and low blood-brain barrier penetration to reduce the CNS and cardiovascular side effects associated with existing analgesics.

The company was founded as a carve-out from collaborations between Kyoto University, Akita University, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (now Sumitomo Pharma), and early-stage investors, and is supported by ongoing academic partnerships with both universities. AlphaNavi has raised approximately 1.51 billion yen (~USD 10 million) in aggregate across a Series A in April 2019 (~900M yen, led by Kyoto University Innovation Capital) and a Series B in March 2023 (~610M yen) from Kyoto University Innovation Capital, Shinsei Capital Partners, Sumitomo Pharma, SMBC Venture Capital, Nippon Venture Capital, and Chushin Venture Capital. The portfolio has been recognized by Japan's AMED CiCLE program and featured in a METI case study on university-originated ventures.

AlphaNavi operates as a pre-commercial, venture-backed private company with 11–50 employees; it has no marketed products and no product revenue. Its commercial model is built around clinical development to regulatory approval, with future revenue expected to flow from pharmaceutical partnerships and potentially independent commercialization. The corporate structure embeds investor representation on the board through directors from Kyoto University Innovation Capital, Shinsei Capital Partners, and Sumitomo Pharma, alongside founder-CEO Yoshihiro Oyamada and COO Hirotsugu Hayashi, indicating tight alignment between scientific, operational, and financial stakeholders as the pipeline advances toward pivotal-stage development.

Name

AlphaNavi Pharma

Legal name

AlphaNavi Pharma株式会社

Website

https://alphanavi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AlphaNavi Pharma is a Japanese clinical-stage biotech venture developing selective voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) inhibitors as non-opioid analgesic drugs for treatment-resistant rare pain diseases, including familial infantile episodic limb pain syndrome and peripheral neuropathic pain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-opioid analgesics / Pain therapeutics

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Management & Anesthesiology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAN)

Keywords

• Non-opioid analgesics
• Sodium channel inhibitors
• Rare pain therapeutics
• Clinical-stage biotechnology
• Neuropathic pain drugs

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization: AlphaNavi Pharma is a pre-commercial biotech company developing novel non-opioid analgesic drugs. The company licenses compounds from Sumitomo Pharma (ANP-230 and DSP-3905) and plans to commercialize through regulatory approval pathways. Revenue would be generated through product sales upon successful clinical development and approval.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AlphaNavi Pharma is a clinical-stage Japanese biotech company that discovers and develops selective voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) inhibitors as non-opioid analgesic drugs for treatment-resistant rare pain diseases. Its lead candidate ANP-230 targets Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 channels and is in Phase 1/2 development for familial infantile episodic limb pain syndrome and peripheral neuropathic pain. The company also develops ANP-390 and holds worldwide exclusive rights to DSP-3905 from Sumitomo Pharma.

Product overview

AlphaNavi Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of selective voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) inhibitors as non-opioid analgesic drugs for treatment-resistant rare pain diseases. The core product ANP-230 targets Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 channels for infantile episodic limb pain syndrome and peripheral neuropathic pain. ANP-390 is a complementary Nav1.7-selective inhibitor with anti-itch properties. The company also acquired rights to DSP-3905 (another Nav1.7 antagonist) from Sumitomo Pharma. All candidates aim to address the lack of selectivity in existing sodium channel inhibitors, reducing CNS and cardiovascular side effects while maintaining analgesic efficacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ANP-230 A potent and selective voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 inhibitor being developed as a non-opioid analgesic for treatment-resistant rare pain diseases including familial infantile episodic limb pain syndrome and peripheral neuropathic pain. It is reported as the only published clinical-stage compound inhibiting Nav1.9, with peripheral selectivity and low blood-brain barrier penetration intended to reduce CNS and cardiovascular side effects.
• ANP-390 A selective voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 inhibitor with a distinct blocking mechanism from ANP-230, developed for peripheral neuropathic pain with reduced CNS and cardiovascular side effects and additional efficacy against peripheral itch.
• DSP-3905 A selective voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 antagonist originally under development by Sumitomo Pharma for neuropathic pain, for which AlphaNavi holds a worldwide exclusive license following exercise of its option in October 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• ANP-230 has completed Phase 1 studies in the US, UK, and Japan demonstrating tolerable safety profile
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2023Sumitomo Pharma licensed manufacturing, development, and marketing rights for ANP-230 (selective Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 inhibitor) to AlphaNavi. AlphaNavi also exercised its option rights in October 2023 to obtain worldwide exclusive license for DSP-3905 (selective Nav1.7 antagonist) currently under development for neuropathic pain.
• Akita UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2020AlphaNavi collaborates with Akita University as part of the AMED CiCLE program for familial episodic infantile limb pain syndrome research. Professor Tsutomu Takahashi at Akita University conducts genetic epidemiology studies for the disease.
• Kyoto University Graduate School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019AlphaNavi entered into a collaborative research agreement with Kyoto University to research newly discovered gene-mutated pain diseases and develop novel analgesic drugs. A department of pain pharmacogenetics was established as one of the collaborative research laboratories under this agreement. Professor Kouji Harada leads Nav gene mutation analysis and functional assays.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eli Lilly: Eli Lilly acquired SiteOne Therapeutics in 2023 to gain Nav1.8 pain assets, putting the company directly into AlphaNavi's competitive space. As a major pharma, Lilly brings substantially greater development resources against overlapping non-opioid pain mechanisms.
• Pfizer: Pfizer has historically invested in Nav1.7 pain programs (previously partnered with Lilly on tanezumab-adjacent mechanisms) and remains a potential strategic acquirer or competitor for sodium-channel pain assets. As a large incumbent, it shapes the addressable market AlphaNavi targets.
• Merck & Co. Merck has explored Nav inhibitors and continues to develop non-opioid pain therapeutics through internal and partnership programs. It exemplifies the broader incumbent pharma interest in non-opioid pain that validates AlphaNavi's market thesis while remaining a competitive threat.

Regional players

• Astellas Pharma: Astellas is a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company with established CNS and pain franchises and operates in the same home market as AlphaNavi. As a Japanese incumbent, it represents a likely partnership/acquisition counterparty for AlphaNavi's Nav pipeline within Japan.

Direct peers

• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Vertex's VX-548 is a selective NaV1.8 inhibitor in late-stage development for acute and neuropathic pain, making it the most direct non-opioid Nav competitor to AlphaNavi's ANP-230/ANP-390. Both companies target peripheral sodium channels with improved CNS/CV safety.
• Latigo Biotherapeutics: Latigo is a private clinical-stage biotech developing Nav1.8 inhibitors for non-opioid pain — overlapping directly with AlphaNavi's sodium-channel pain pipeline. The companies share therapeutic target (Nav1.8) and value proposition (non-opioid alternatives with reduced side-effect burden).
• Hoba Therapeutics: Hoba Therapeutics is developing therapeutics targeting Kv7 and Nav1.9 for chronic pain — the Nav1.9 aspect is a direct parallel to AlphaNavi's ANP-230, the only other public Nav1.9 clinical program. Both share the rare-pain and orphan disease thesis.

Emerging players

• Lexicon Pharmaceuticals: Lexicon is a clinical-stage biotech with multiple pain and CNS programs and has navigated late-stage development for novel pain mechanisms. As a similarly sized emerging player, it represents a comparable US-listed development-stage pain biotech (less direct on target but adjacent in therapeutic area and stage).

Others

• Sumitomo Pharma: Sumitomo Pharma is AlphaNavi's core IP licensor and equity investor (Board seat), having originally developed ANP-230 and DSP-3905. Although not a competitive peer, Sumitomo's strategy and continued support materially influence AlphaNavi's pipeline and is therefore a critical relationship comparable in influence to a strategic partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors7 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AlphaNavi Pharma