Kaka'ako Research
Positioning high-quality healthcare assets for their next development inflection point
Kaka'ako Research is a healthcare asset development firm that works with therapeutic and diagnostic programs navigating operational, organizational, or partnering transitions as they move toward their next value inflection point.
We work alongside asset owners and partners to support disciplined progression toward the next development or partnering milestone.
How We Work
Program Advancement
We engage with therapeutic and diagnostic programs that have strong scientific foundations but require refinement in development strategy, organizational structure, or business alignment to progress to their next stage.
Translational Development
Operating as a translational development group, we support development planning, positioning, and execution to align scientific progress with regulatory, clinical, and commercial pathways.
Partnering & Transition
Programs are advanced toward licensing, spin-out, or strategic partnership with organizations best positioned to support long-term development.
Where We Engage
As scientific programs mature, they often encounter execution and alignment challenges that are not scientific in nature. These challenges can emerge from changes in organizational focus, resource availability, or market context.
Kaka‘ako Research engages at these transition points to support efficient progression toward the next value inflection and to reduce avoidable delays or misalignment that can erode long-term asset value.
Operating Model
We engage selectively and collaboratively, tailoring our involvement to the needs of each program and its stakeholders.
Programs we work with often exhibit:
- Strong scientific data and validation in relevant models
- A clear unmet medical or clinical opportunity
- Development or commercialization pathways that require refinement or re-alignment
- Capitalization, operational, or partnering structures that are no longer optimal for the next phase
We are not:
- A general accelerator
- A CRO
- A passive capital provider
- A long-term owner of operating companies
Focus Areas
Our work spans therapeutics and applied AI in healthcare, with discipline around readiness and pathway to impact.
Areas of focus include:
- Small-molecule and biologic therapeutics
- Platform and asset-centric biotech programs
- AI-enabled diagnostic and decision-support tools
- Translational academic and early-industry programs
Specific programs and partnerships are confidential.
Leadership & Network
Kaka'ako Research is led by experienced drug development entrepreneurs with a track record of building companies, advancing therapeutic programs, and executing partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem.
Andrew Radin, MBA Partner
Andrew Radin is a biotech entrepreneur and operator specializing in licensing, business development, and the translation of early-stage research into partnered drug programs. He is a Partner at Kaka'ako Research.
A repeat founder, he previously co-founded Aria Pharmaceuticals, where he led business development efforts that resulted in multiple licensing partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies across oncology, neurology, and inflammatory disease. He also led fundraising from institutional investors including SoftBank and Andreessen Horowitz. Earlier, he held roles in private markets at Macquarie Group, managing international fund investments. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and degrees in Biochemistry and Economics from UC San Diego.
S. Roy Kimura, Ph.D. Partner
Roy Kimura is a drug development founder and executive with more than 20 years of experience spanning computational chemistry, preclinical development, and licensing transactions. He is a Partner at Kaka'ako Research and Cofounder and CEO of Alivexis, a computation-driven drug discovery company with operations in Boston and Tokyo.
At Alivexis, Roy has led the advancement of five clinical candidate compounds and executed a significant licensing agreement for a novel Cathepsin C inhibitor with potential in neutrophil-driven inflammatory diseases. The company has established partnerships with global pharmaceutical firms including Astellas Pharma. Previously, Roy spent 10 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb in drug design across neuroscience, oncology, and virology, and four years at Schrödinger leading pharmaceutical collaborations. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and completed postdoctoral research in Chemistry at MIT.
Advisory Network
Kaka'ako Research is supported by an advisory network with direct experience advancing programs from discovery through FDA approval. Advisors span medicinal chemistry, preclinical and clinical development, regulatory strategy, and business development across multiple therapeutic areas.
Engagements are typically originated through direct relationships with asset owners, academic institutions, and industry partners.
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