Beyond Next Ventures Inc. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Founder CEO / Managing Partner: Tsuyoshi Ito) is pleased to announce its participation as the lead investor in the latest financing round of SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc. (Fujisawa, Kanagawa; President & CEO: Masanori Watanabe, hereinafter “SCOHIA PHARMA”). The startup raised a total of JPY 3 billion in this round.

About SCOHIA PHARMA

SCOHIA PHARMA is a drug discovery startup engaged in the research and development of small- and medium-molecule therapeutics, primarily in the fields of metabolic, endocrine, and cardiovascular diseases. The company was established in 2017 through a carve-out from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and has multiple development pipelines ranging from lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes to rare diseases including growth hormone deficiency-related short stature and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Especially in the fields of obesity and diabetes, SCOHIA PHARMA is advancing the development of SCO-094, a drug candidate that acts on two receptors involved in regulating blood glucose levels and body weight: the GLP-1 receptor and the GIP receptor. Following its out-licensing to China-based Huadong Medicine, a once-weekly formulation of SCO-094 is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials in China.

Additionally, SCOHIA PHARMA entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. (California, USA) in April 2026 for the selective MC2R antagonist SCO-483 (including milestone payments of up to USD 550 million contingent upon research and development progress.) Through such initiatives, the company has continued to build a track record of collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies.

Furthermore, the startup is establishing a development portfolio centered on lifestyle-related diseases and rare diseases, combining multiple drug candidates and backup compounds with distinct mechanisms of action. Rather than relying on a single development asset, SCOHIA PHARMA aims to continuously generate and advance new drug candidates while leveraging partnerships with domestic and international collaborators to deliver new treatment options to patients worldwide.

SCOHIA PHARMA Website: https://www.SCOHIA.com/eng/

Background of the Investment

The number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease is increasing worldwide, making them major healthcare challenges due to rising medical costs and the burden they place on the patients’ daily lives. Particularly in the obesity field, while the development and adoption of new treatments –centered on GLP-1- based therapies–are advancing, there remains a strong need for a wider range of therapeutic options in terms of efficacy, safety, methods of administration, access to healthcare, and financial burden.

To address these challenges, SCOHIA PHARMA is developing a diverse pipeline targeting not only lifestyle-related diseases, including obesity and diabetes, but also rare diseases such as growth hormone deficiency short stature and ADPKD. In addition, the company has built a track record of partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies both in Japan and overseas, including its collaboration with Huadong Medicine for SCO-094 and its exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Neurocrine Biosciences for SCO-483.

Beyond Next Ventures decided to make this investment based on the significant potential we see in SCOHIA PHARMA’s small- and medium-molecule drug discovery capabilities, its robust portfolio of clinical and preclinical pipelines, its track record of strategic partnership with domestic and international partners, and its strong organizational capability to advance pharmaceutical development.

Going forward, we will leverage our expertise and network in the drug discovery and biotechnology fields to support SCOHIA PHARMA in strengthening its research and development, business development, fundraising, and organizational capabilities.

Comments from Beyond Next Ventures

Takehiko Sawabe (MBA / Director) / Keigo Yato（Ph.D. / Principal）
Precisely because fundraising conditions in the domestic biotech investment environment are so challenging, the need to create innovative new drugs from Japan-originated technologies has never been greater. We believe that advancing Japanese drug discovery and delivering new treatment options to patients worldwide carries immense social significance.

We were deeply impressed by SCOHIA PHARMA’s world-class drug discovery team and its diversified asset strategy designed to mitigate risk, and decided to serve as the lead investor in this round. The fact that the company was able to raise ¥3 billion beyond its initial target is a testament to its track record and the trust it has earned from investors. We are convinced that this represents a remarkable and encouraging milestone for Japan’s biotech market.

This latest capital raise will further accelerate the company’s transformation into “a resilient drug discovery platform company that is not swayed by market volatility.” We are confident that this announcement will attract new professionals who resonate with SCOHIA PHARMA’s ambitious vision, leading to even greater growth.

As they work to demonstrate the true strength of Japan-originated innovation to the world, we too will devote our full efforts to supporting them on this journey.

About Beyond Next Ventures Inc.

Creating the beyond next society; enabling exceptional people solving global challenges.
Beyond Next Ventures is a deep-tech venture capital firm dedicated to translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact and building a virtuous cycle in which the value created fuels the next wave of innovation. We manage JPY 48 billion (approximately US$320 million) in funds focused on deep-tech startups. Through our proprietary company creation capabilities, executive talent matching, and the TECHNIUM Global Conference that convenes key stakeholders from Japan and around the world, we strengthen a deep-tech innovation ecosystem and accelerate the commercialization of research outcomes in collaboration with industry, academia, and government.

• Head Office: 3-7-2 Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Nihonbashi Honcho Showa-dori Building, 3rd Floor
• Subsidairy: Galaxy-Wework, 43, Residency Road, Shanthala Nagar Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India – 560025
• Representative: Founder CEO / Managing Partner Tsuyoshi Ito , Managing Director / General Partner Kengo Ueha
• Established: August 2014
• Business: Investment and growth support for deep tech startups in Japan and India, support for the commercialization of research seeds, cultivation and formation of management talent and teams, operation of shared wet labs, etc.
• Website: https://beyondnextventures.com