Asahi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture; Representative Director: Ni Jianwei) is pleased to announce that, effective July 24, 2026 (Friday), it has changed its company name to "SiccaNova Therapeutics Co., Ltd."

Since its founding, our company has strived to create innovative pharmaceuticals by addressing the medical challenges of dryness, exemplified by dry mouth and dry eyes, under the philosophy of "providing necessary medicines to patients waiting for them."

Looking ahead to the transition to a full-scale clinical development phase, and in order to build a globally recognized corporate brand and more clearly communicate the values we aim to achieve to society, we have adopted the new company name "SiccaNova Therapeutics" and are taking a new step forward.

— Meaning behind the Company Name and Logo —
"Sicca" means "dryness" in Latin, and "Nova" is a word derived from Latin that evokes the image of a "new star."

The name SiccaNova embodies our desire to bring new light to the medical challenge of dryness, create innovative treatments unlike anything seen before, and deliver new treatment possibilities and hope to patients.

Furthermore, the logo features a design reminiscent of flowing water. This expresses our corporate stance of delivering moisture to patients suffering from dryness and paving the way for a future that leads to new hope.

Through our company name and logo, we will communicate our raison d'être as a brand: our commitment to "patients waiting for the medicine they need" and our determination to "create new value through innovative drug discovery."

― Comment from the CEO ―
We consider "dryness" not merely a symptom, but a crucial medical challenge that significantly impacts patients' QOL (Quality of Life), and we recognize that there remains a high level of unmet medical need in this area. While many patients worldwide suffer from dryness, including in the mouth and eyes, sufficient treatment options are not available.

Our company aims to commercialize the world's first M3 PAM and is challenging itself to create innovative treatments with unprecedented mechanisms of action. Our goal is to address the medical challenge of dryness, for which there are currently no adequate treatments, and to create new treatment options, thereby bringing unprecedented therapeutic possibilities and hope to patients.
That is the mission of SiccaNova Therapeutics.
This name change is a declaration of our determination as we move towards a full-scale clinical development phase, and the first step towards a new stage for our company.
Inheriting our founding principle of "bringing necessary medicine to patients waiting," SiccaNova Therapeutics, under its new name, will pioneer the future of dryness treatment through innovative drug discovery.

Company Profile
• Company Name: SiccaNova Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
• Representative: Ni Jianwei
• Location: 2-5-1 Azuma, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture
• Established: February 2022
• Business Activities: Research and development of innovative pharmaceuticals for the medical challenge of dryness
• Mission: To provide necessary medicines to patients waiting for them
Glossary
M3 PAM (M3 Muscarinic Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator):
This is a new drug discovery approach that enhances the function of the M3 muscarinic receptor to stimulate the body's natural secretory functions, such as saliva and tears. Our company aims to commercialize the world's first pharmaceutical product using this mechanism of action.
Dry Mouth (Xerostomia):
This is a condition in which the inside of the mouth becomes dry due to decreased saliva secretion, etc. It is a cross-disease medical challenge caused by various factors such as Sjögren's syndrome, drug side effects, cancer treatment, and aging, and has a significant impact on daily life, including eating, talking, and swallowing. In recent years, its association with oral function decline and frailty has also attracted attention.

Dry Eye
This is a representative eye disease that causes dryness and discomfort of the eyes due to abnormalities in the tear film, etc. It is one of the dryness-related diseases that greatly affects patients' quality of life and is a representative example that symbolizes the medical issues targeted by "Sicca (dryness)."

Contact: https://www.siccanova.com/contact