ONO PHARMA USA Announces 2023 Golden Ticket Competition in Partnership with LabCentral and MBC BioLabs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ONO PHARMA USA today announced partnerships with LabCentral in Cambridge, Mass., and MBC BioLabs in San Francisco, to award each organization one Golden Ticket for an innovative life sciences startup company. The competition is sponsored by ONO PHARMA USA's parent company, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (ONO), and applications will be received through May 2023.

The Golden Ticket awards provide promising early-stage R&D companies lab space and mentorship, two components vital to the success of nascent life science businesses. The Golden Tickets ONO is sponsoring this year will provide one outstanding applicant lab space and related services at each of the partner locations, as well as mentorship from ONO's renowned researchers and business leaders across its global network.

Interested applicants may submit their non-confidential company presentations:

• LabCentral, by May 26, to: [email protected]. Winners will receive a $50,000 credit towards space and services available at LabCentral 700 for use within a 13-month period, beginning upon receipt.
• MBC BioLabs, by May 12, to: https://mbcbiolabs.com/ono-golden-ticket/2023/#. Winners will receive one-year free lab space at MBC BioLabs and access to its shared amenities and services.

Initial submissions will be accepted for each location, Cambridge and San Francisco, and reviewed by ONO's internal committee. Finalists for each location will be notified and invited to present to ONO in person or virtually at the end of June. Winners will be presented with the Golden Tickets shortly thereafter.

In 2021, ONO entered sponsorship agreements with LabCentral and MBC BioLabs, two non-profit organizations that support the development of biotech startups and entrepreneurs by providing access to comprehensive laboratory facilities and technologies. ONO has long been a proponent of collaboration in R&D and credits its own open innovation model for supporting key scientific breakthroughs over the years.

"As longtime believers in open innovation and the power of partnerships, we are excited once again to offer this Golden Ticket competition in collaboration with LabCentral and MBC BioLabs," said Kunihiko Ito, President and CEO of ONO PHARMA USA. "We look forward to reviewing applicants' presentations and encourage companies who are doing outstanding work in ONO's four focus areas – oncology, immunology, neurology and specialty medicine – to apply."

About ONO PHARMA USA
ONO PHARMA USA, established in 1998 as the U.S. subsidiary of Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., is pursuing the clinical development of new drug candidates and aiming to establish operations in the U.S., from clinical development to regulatory approval and commercialization. In addition, ONO PHARMA USA is engaged in promotion of the discovery alliances and licensing activities to expand Ono's development pipeline and pursue the commercialization opportunities in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.ono-usa.com.   

About Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, is an R&D-oriented pharmaceutical company committed to creating innovative medicines in specific areas. ONO focuses its research on oncology, immunology, neurology, and specialty area with high medical needs as priority areas for discovery and development of innovative medicines. For further information, please visit the company's website at https://www.ono-pharma.com/en.

About LabCentral
LabCentral is a network of laboratory spaces and scientific communities, purposed designed to jumpstart the launch of promising early-stage life-sciences companies and accelerate scientific innovation in service of human health. Operating over 225,000 square-feet in Cambridge and on the Harvard University Campus, LabCentral is a convener of biotech stakeholders, connecting early and mid-stage companies with established institutions and organizations in the industry. LabCentral provides first-class operational support, curated events and programming, and access to a diverse network of sponsors to as many as 125 startups comprising approximately 1000 scientists and entrepreneurs. More information is available at www.labcentral.org. 

About MBC BioLabs
MBC BioLabs is dedicated to helping life-science startups succeed. By renting space as small as a single lab bench and providing these entrepreneurial scientists with access to millions of dollars of equipment, MBC BioLabs allows companies to be fast, focused, and frugal. It has three sites: one in the Dogpatch neighborhood in San Francisco and two campuses in San Carlos, California. Each site has a complete molecular biology core facility that allows companies to do experiments on day one. MBC BioLabs has partnerships with leading pharmaceutical and life-science companies as well as a built-in venture capital firm, Mission BioCapital. These partnerships provide entrepreneurs with valuable insights about where to focus their efforts and accelerates the innovation pipeline. Since opening in 2013, MBC BioLabs has helped launch and grow 290 companies. These companies have brought 153 programs to the clinic, produced 13 approved diagnostics, and raised over $13 billion. For more information, visit www.MBCBioLabs.com.

Contact:
ONO PHARMA USA
[email protected]

SOURCE ONO PHARMA USA, INC.