Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo, Microbial Chemistry Resarch Foundation

What Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo, Microbial Chemistry Resarch Foundation does

The Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo (微化研, IMC) is the operating research institute of the Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation (公益財団法人微生物化学研究会), a Japanese nonprofit public-interest foundation established on 10 December 1958 and converted to public-interest foundation status on 1 April 2011. The institute itself was established on 27 March 1962, originally seeded by the proceeds of the kanamycin discovery. It conducts basic and applied research on bioactive substances produced by microorganisms, organized into specialized departments spanning Bioactive Substance Research I–III, Structural Biology, Chemistry, and Molecular Structure Analysis, plus a Numazu branch housing animal resources.

Its research output has produced 14 commercialized compounds across pharmaceuticals, agricultural pesticides, and veterinary drugs — including the landmark antibiotic kanamycin, the anticancer agent bleomycin, immunosuppressant gusperimus, and multiple derivatives — alongside approximately 17 enzyme inhibitor reagents (e.g., leupeptin, pepstatin, chymostatin) and over 60 bioactive substance research reagents. Active pipeline projects include CPZEN-45 (an anti-tuberculosis candidate), CR compounds (neuromuscular junction enhancers), and Intervenolin. The foundation earns revenue through licensing and royalty agreements with pharmaceutical partners for commercialized compounds and through global sales of research reagents via two authorized Japanese distributors — Funakoshi Corporation and Peptide Institute — with no direct consumer-facing software or platform product. It is governed by a President (Shibasaki Masakatsu) and a Managing Director who also serves as Institute Director (Shimizu Takao, since April 2022).

Name

Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo, Microbial Chemistry Resarch Foundation

Legal name

公益財団法人微生物化学研究会

Website

https://bikaken.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation's operating research institute (IMC), a Japanese nonprofit established in 1958, discovers and licenses bioactive compounds from microorganisms — having commercialized 14 pharmaceuticals/pesticides and supplying 60+ research reagents globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical R&D Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Antimicrobials Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbiome Modulating Small Molecules & Antibiotic Alternatives (HLAAAFAG), Microbial Biopesticides (Bacterial, Fungal, Viral) (AFABAEAA), Biostimulants & Plant Health Biologicals (Microbial/Non-microbial) (AFABAEAK)

Keywords

• Microbial drug discovery
• Antibiotic chemotherapy agents
• Anticancer chemotherapy agents
• Enzyme inhibitor reagents
• Bioactive compound research

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Compound licensing and royalties: The institute generates revenue through licensing of compounds discovered and developed in-house, including antibiotics such as Kanamycin, Bleomycin, Josamycin, Dibekacin, Peplomycin, and immunosuppressants like Gusperimus that were discovered and commercialized over decades
2. Research reagent sales: Sale of research reagent compounds including enzyme inhibitors (Leupeptin, Pepstatin, Chymostatin), bioactive substances (COTC, NM-3), and other research chemicals to pharmaceutical companies and research institutions through distributors Funakoshi Corporation and Peptide Institute

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Institute of Microbial Chemistry is a Japanese non-profit public interest foundation that conducts basic and applied research on physiologically active substances produced by microorganisms. It discovers, develops, and licenses pharmaceutical compounds (antibiotics, anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, veterinary drugs) and agricultural pesticides, while also selling a portfolio of research biochemical reagents (enzyme inhibitors and bioactive substance reagents) to pharmaceutical companies and research institutions.

Product overview

The Institute is a non-profit public interest foundation (established 1958) and research institute (established 1962) focused on the discovery and development of bioactive substances from microorganisms. Its product portfolio consists of two categories: (1) marketed pharmaceuticals and agricultural pesticides discovered by the institute and brought to market (including Kanamycin, Bleomycin, Kasugamycin, Josamycin, Dibekacin, Peplomycin, Aclarubicin, Ubenimex, Pirarubicin, Arbekacin, Gusperimus, and others); and (2) research reagents sold to other laboratories and companies, including enzyme inhibitors (Leupeptin, Pepstatin, and approximately 15 others) and a wide range of bioactive substance reagents (over 60 compounds) sold through Funakoshi Corporation and Peptide Institute Inc. The institute does not offer a software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kanamycin (カナマイシン)
• Bleomycin/Bleo (ブレオマイシン)
• Kasugamycin/Kasumin (カスガマイシン)
• Josamycin (ジョサマイシン)
• Dibekacin/Panmycin (ジベカシン)
• Peplomycin/Peplio (ペプロマイシン)
• Ubenimex/Bestatin (ウベニメクス)
• Arbekacin/Habekacin (アルベカシン)
• Gusperimus/Spanidin (グスペリムス)
• Enzyme inhibitor reagents (Leupeptin, Pepstatin, Chymostatin, and others)
• Bioactive substance research reagents

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 pharmaceutical compounds commercialized since 1957, including antibiotics (kanamycin, josamycin, dibekacin, arbekacin) and anticancer agents (bleomycin, peplomycin, aclacinomycin, ubenimex, pirarubicin)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• RIKEN: Japan's largest comprehensive research institute, covering life sciences including chemistry and microbiology. Directly comparable as a large-scale Japanese public research organization producing drug discovery output, though much broader in scientific scope.
• The Scripps Research Institute: Non-profit biomedical research organization with deep history in natural product chemistry and antibiotic discovery. Comparable as a mission-driven research entity translating microbial chemistry into therapeutic candidates, though US-based and significantly larger.
• Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI): Australian non-profit medical research institute with strengths in chemical biology and drug discovery. Comparable as a foundation-based research organization producing therapeutic discoveries, though focused more broadly on hematology and cancer biology.
• Institut Pasteur: French non-profit research foundation with a long history of microbiology and infectious disease research. Comparable as a foundation-based microbial chemistry and infectious disease research organization with global scientific reach.

Emerging players

• Achaogen (now defunct / Cipla USA): Was a US-based biotech focused on antibiotic discovery from microbial sources, illustrating both the opportunity and difficulty of commercializing new antibiotics. Relevant reference point for IMC's antimicrobial pipeline despite IMC's non-commercial structure.

Regional players

• Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB): Korean government research institute focused on biotechnology and microbiology with drug discovery output. Comparable mission and structure (public research foundation), operating in a different geography but with similar microbial chemistry focus.

Others

• Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing: European non-profit basic research institute operating under a foundation model. Indirectly comparable as a foundation-governed research entity, though focused on aging biology rather than microbial chemistry.

Broad incumbents

• Cubist Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Merck): Was a leading antibiotic-discovery-focused biotech (now part of Merck), illustrating the commercial pathway for microbial chemistry platforms targeting infectious disease. Relevant for understanding the market dynamic IMC's compounds enter, though IMC is non-commercial.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bikakenofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-microbial-chemistry-tokyo-microbial-chemistry-resarch-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo, Microbial Chemistry Resarch Foundation