Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company and Sage Bionetworks, a new strategic and non-profit biomedical research organisation, has announced a four-year research alliance to focus on new therapeutic targets for central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

Using its integrated genomics methods, Sage scientists will build a predictive model and identify key regulatory genes and predictive biomarkers in patients with CNS diseases.

Scientists at the two companies will then work together to discover and prioritise any targets that hold the greatest potential for molecular intervention.

Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda will provide more than $3.6m over four years in research funding and fees.