Chugai Pharmabody Research
Chugai Pharmabody Research is a Singapore-based drug discovery subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical (Roche Group) that develops proprietary antibody engineering and cyclic peptide platforms, creating clinical drug candidates that it transfers to its parent for global development and commercialization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Chugai Pharmabody Research does
Chugai Pharmabody Research Pte. Ltd. (CPR) is a Singapore-based drug discovery research institute and wholly-owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., itself a member of the Roche Group. Established in January 2012 with S$21.5 million in initial capital and commencing operations in July 2012, CPR operates from Singapore's Biopolis biomedical hub and is staffed by approximately 150–155 researchers drawn from 14 countries. The company does not commercialize drug products directly; instead, it creates antibody drug clinical candidates and transfers them to Chugai for clinical development and global commercialization through Chugai's distribution network.
CPR's core offering is a portfolio of proprietary antibody engineering and drug-discovery platforms. These include the Recycling Antibody Technology (SMART-Ig), Sweeping Antibody Technology, Bispecific Antibody Technology, T-Cell Redirecting Antibody (TRAB) Platform, and a Cyclic Peptide Drug Discovery Platform, complemented by Rabbit Single B Cell Cloning Technology. These platforms have produced approved therapeutics including Crovalimab for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (approved in Japan, Europe, and the US, with launch in Japan in 2024) and have underpinned Chugai's emicizumab for hemophilia A. The company maintains ongoing collaborations with A*STAR, NUS, and NTU, and has secured external grant funding for infectious-disease programs including anti-dengue (GHIT Fund, 2017) and anti-COVID-19 (2020) antibody projects.
CPR's revenue model is internal: as a captive R&D subsidiary with no external paying customers, it is funded indirectly through Chugai Pharmaceutical's investment in its research operations, with no public-facing pricing. The company is AAALAC-accredited for animal research, publishes in peer-reviewed journals, and presents at industry conferences such as PEGS Boston and the Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics symposia. CPR's go-to-market is therefore not commercial sales but rather scientific output — antibody candidates transferred to Chugai that flow into the parent's global pharmaceutical pipeline. Leadership includes Sir David Lane (Chairman), Futa Mimoto (Director and CEO), Hitoshi Iikura (Director), and Ashok Venkitaraman (Director).
Chugai Pharmabody Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chugai Pharmabody Research
- Legal name
- Chugai Pharmabody Research Pte. Ltd.
- Website
- https://chugai-pharmabody.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Chugai Pharmabody Research is a Singapore-based drug discovery subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical (Roche Group) that develops proprietary antibody engineering and cyclic peptide platforms, creating clinical drug candidates that it transfers to its parent for global development and commercialization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chugai Pharmabody Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biopharmaceutical Drug Discovery Research
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)
Keywords
Where Chugai Pharmabody Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Chugai Pharmabody Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Drug Discovery Research Services: CPR operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. CPR conducts drug discovery research creating new antibody drug clinical candidates and supports drug development. Revenue flows indirectly through the parent company's investment in R&D operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Chugai Pharmabody Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chugai Pharmabody Research (CPR) is a Singapore-based drug discovery research institute that creates antibody drug clinical candidates using proprietary antibody engineering technologies (Recycling/SMART-Ig, Sweeping, Bispecific, and T-Cell Redirecting Antibody platforms) and a cyclic peptide drug discovery platform. The company develops First-in-Class and Best-in-Class therapeutic antibodies and supports drug development through lead optimization for its parent company, Chugai Pharmaceutical. CPR's first developed drug, Crovalimab, achieved regulatory approval in Japan, Europe, and the US for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
Product overview
Chugai Pharmabody Research (CPR) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (member of Roche Group) established in Singapore in 2012. CPR operates as a drug discovery research institute offering proprietary antibody engineering and cyclic peptide technology platforms. The core offerings include the Recycling Antibody Technology (SMART-Ig), Sweeping Antibody Technology, Bispecific Antibody Technology, and T-Cell Redirecting Antibody platforms, all used to create novel therapeutic antibodies for treating diseases with unmet medical needs. CPR also maintains a Cyclic Peptide Drug Discovery Platform for mid-size molecule therapeutics. The company focuses on developing First-in-Class and Best-in-Class antibody drug candidates through integrated capabilities from early-stage discovery to clinical development support. Notable approved drugs developed using CPR's technologies include Crovalimab for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) and emicizumab for Hemophilia A. CPR collaborates with academic and research institutions in Singapore's Biopolis research hub and maintains a global network through its parent company Chugai and the Roche Group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crovalimab Recycling antibody therapy for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) developed using CPR's proprietary Recycling Antibody Technology; CPR's first made-in-Singapore drug, approved in Japan, Europe, and the US. Developed as an antibody drug clinical candidate and transferred to Chugai Pharmaceutical for clinical development and commercialization.
- Anti-COVID-19 Therapeutic Antibody Neutralizing antibody developed against SARS-CoV-2 through a joint development project between Chugai Pharmabody Research and A*STAR, intended as a therapeutic antibody to fight COVID-19.
- Anti-Dengue Virus Antibody Antibody candidate developed against dengue virus through a Chugai-A*STAR joint development project; selected as a grant recipient by the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) to address unmet need in dengue-endemic regions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Crovalimab approved in Japan, Europe, and US for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Chugai Pharmabody Research
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chugai Pharmabody Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Chugai Pharmabody Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- A*STAR (COVID-19 Joint Research)coreJoint research with A*STAR to develop a therapeutic antibody to fight COVID-19, announced during the pandemic to address urgent global health needs.
- A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research)coreCPR collaborates with A*STAR on multiple joint research projects including development of anti-dengue virus antibody (selected for GHIT Fund grant) and therapeutic antibody to fight COVID-19. The collaboration leverages Singapore's research ecosystem and A*STAR's biomedical research capabilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chugai Pharmabody Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Genentech: Roche subsidiary with one of the largest therapeutic antibody pipelines in the industry. Comparable in antibody discovery, bispecific engineering, and clinical translation, though operating at far greater scale and with broader therapeutic focus.
- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. CPR's parent company and primary commercial pathway. Chugai operates Japan's leading biopharmaceutical pipeline, including emicizumab and other antibody therapeutics; it is the direct acquirer and developer of CPR's drug candidates.
- WuXi Biologics: Global biologics CRO/CDMO with extensive antibody discovery, development, and manufacturing capabilities. Comparable in antibody technology breadth and biologics focus, though operating as a fee-for-service platform across many external customers.
- MedImmune (AstraZeneca): AstraZeneca's biologics R&D arm and one of the early pioneers of humanized antibody engineering. Comparable as a captive antibody R&D function within a major pharma, with bispecific and engineered antibody platforms analogous to CPR's portfolio.
- Roche: Ultimate parent group via Chugai's strategic alliance with Roche since 2002. Roche operates one of the world's largest antibody R&D organizations (including Genentech), making it the closest broad incumbent with comparable antibody engineering capabilities.
Direct peers
- Adimab: Private antibody discovery platform company providing engineering services and bispecific capabilities to large pharma. Comparable as a dedicated antibody engineering platform that generates candidates for partner pipelines, similar to CPR's role within Chugai.
- Harbour BioMed: Asia-headquartered (Singapore/China/Netherlands/US) biopharma with proprietary antibody platforms including bispecific and heavy-chain-only antibody technologies. Comparable as a Singapore-anchored antibody engineering company with platform-based discovery and international expansion.
- AbCellera Biologics: Vancouver-based antibody discovery platform company using single-cell screening and AI/ML. Comparable as a pure-play antibody discovery engine that partners with larger pharma to advance candidates — similar outsourced-discovery model to CPR's relationship with Chugai.
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: Independent biopharmaceutical company with proprietary antibody platforms (VelociSuite) producing multiple approved antibodies. Comparable as an antibody-platform-led discovery organization with first-in-class candidates, though Regeneron operates its own commercialization rather than serving a parent.
Regional players
- A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research): Singapore's primary public-sector R&D agency and CPR's core joint research partner. Comparable in biomedical R&D capabilities in Singapore and adjacent therapeutic antibody research, though operating as a public research institute rather than a commercial entity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chugai Pharmabody Research social profiles
Digital presenceChugai Pharmabody Research compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Chugai Pharmabody Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chugai Pharmabody Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Chugai Pharmabody Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Chugai Pharmabody Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chugai Pharmabody Research
What does Chugai Pharmabody Research do?
Chugai Pharmabody Research (CPR) is a Singapore-based drug discovery research institute that creates antibody drug clinical candidates using proprietary antibody engineering technologies (Recycling/SMART-Ig, Sweeping, Bispecific, and T-Cell Redirecting Antibody platforms) and a cyclic peptide drug discovery platform. The company develops First-in-Class and Best-in-Class therapeutic antibodies and supports drug development through lead optimization for its parent company, Chugai Pharmaceutical. CPR's first developed drug, Crovalimab, achieved regulatory approval in Japan, Europe, and the US for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
Is Chugai Pharmabody Research a public or private company?
Chugai Pharmabody Research is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Chugai Pharmabody Research founded?
Chugai Pharmabody Research was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Chugai Pharmabody Research based?
Chugai Pharmabody Research is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does Chugai Pharmabody Research make money?
One revenue line is on record: drug Discovery Research Services.
Who are Chugai Pharmabody Research's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Genentech, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., WuXi Biologics, MedImmune (AstraZeneca) and Roche. Direct peers are Adimab, Harbour BioMed, AbCellera Biologics and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) is listed as a regional player.
Does Chugai Pharmabody Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chugai Pharmabody Research.
What industry is Chugai Pharmabody Research in?
Chugai Pharmabody Research's product category is Biopharmaceutical Drug Discovery Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAB, Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK), with a secondary code of HLAGAAAA, Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.