Juran Kato

President and CEO
GEXVal Inc.​
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After obtaining her PhD in Molecular Biology from Tokyo Institute of Technology (now Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) following merger with Tokyo Medical and Dental University), Juran engaged in cancer research at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a post-doctoral fellow. During her post-doc career, she received the prestigious B. G. Leventhal Scholars in Cancer Research Award from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), recognizing her as a promising female researcher at the largest cancer research conference in the US.

After returning to Japan, Juran joined Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., where she received multiple research department awards for discoveries in molecularly targeted medicine in oncology and drug repurposing research. During R&D executive training at MIT Sloan School of Management, Juran designed and proposed a pioneering project addressing Access to Medicine issues in developing countries through public-private partnership with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). This transformative experience crystallized her belief in the power of collaborative partnerships to resolve global healthcare challenges and established tackling "Access to Medicine" as her life work.

In 2018, driven by her commitment to democratizing healthcare access, Juran established GEXVal Inc. as a spin-off from Takeda to deliver medicines to people living with rare and intractable diseases. Through GEXVal, she continues her mission to bridge the gap between medical innovation and patient access, particularly for underserved populations.

She regularly speaks and moderates at diverse forums—from academic lectures to international conferences, including clinical conferences at the Embassy of Australia (Tokyo, Japan), EXPO2025, and the LESI (Licensing Executives Society International) Annual Conference, where intellectual property strategy experts gather globally.

Beyond the boardroom, Juran is passionate about Shotokan Karate as a member of SKIF International (Shotokan Karate-do International Federation), having earned medals in district championships. Guided by the dojo's principle to "endeavor to excel," she dedicates herself to achieving excellence in all pursuits—from academia and business to karate. Juran also enjoys traveling and visiting hot springs across Japan.

 

Speech title & Synopsis

GEXVal Inc: Japan’s Emerging Biopharma to Reach the Unreached 

GEXVal is a Japan-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2018 as a Takeda spin-off, dedicated to tackling "Access to Medicine" challenges for rare and underserved diseases. The company leverages its proprietary RePhaIND®  platform—an AI-driven pharmacoinformatics tool powered by Graph Attention Autoencoder technology (GATE)—to identify and develop overlooked New Molecular Entities with hidden therapeutic potential.

Lead Programs:
GEXVal's flagship compound, GXV-001, has successfully completed Phase 1 studies in Australia through the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, demonstrating excellent safety, tolerability, and proof-of-mechanism confirmed by plasma biomarkers as well as systemic physiological responses. The compound is advancing to two proof-of-concept studies targeting fragile X syndrome (or Rett syndrome) and post-operative delirium/post-operative cognitive disorders—conditions with significant unmet medical needs and no approved therapies.

Market Position:
According to JETRO's Life Sciences Market Map, GEXVal stands among the most clinically advanced Japanese biotechs focusing on rare diseases, with two POC-ready neurological programs. The company has received endorsement from global patient advocacy groups including FRAXA Research Foundation and backing from major national grants, validating its therapeutic approach and clinical development capabilities.

Business Model:
Operating as "drug hunters," GEXVal specializes in early-stage development through proof-of-concept studies, subsequently partnering with pharmaceutical companies for late-stage development and commercialization. This strategy maximizes innovation value while ensuring broad patient access.

Funding & Grants:
GEXVal is selected for AMED's competitive Japanese national grant program with 2x leverage funding structure with total project size of $20M. The fragile X syndrome POC study is supported by this prestigious AMED grant, demonstrating strong institutional validation of the program's potential. Additionally, GEXVal is conducting its last financing round to raise $20M to complete two pivotal POC studies. 

Disclaimer: GXV-001 and other compounds mentioned herein are investigational drug candidates currently under development and have not been approved by regulatory authorities for any indication. This presentation is intended solely for scientific and business information purposes and does not constitute advertising or promotion of any pharmaceutical product. 

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