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I recently had the pleasure of giving a presentation with the National Cancer Center, Mitsui Fudosan, and Teijin regarding the Kashiwa-no-ha Platform. This concept has actually been in the works with these groups for more than two years now, and I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with these wonderful groups engaged in the development of regenerative medicine. As I have been saying for some time, in my work with regenerative medicine I have noticed that the business model here is unexpectedly different in many ways from traditional pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The people working on this platform are very acutely aware of where the similarities lie, and where the differences can be found. I look forward to working towards the same ends with them.

Collaboration with the National Cancer Center

Regarding the collaboration with the National Cancer Center, first, we are grateful for the doctors’ deep understanding and interest in regenerative medicine itself, and we hope for opportunities to work together in the practical application of technological seeds not only from Japan but also from overseas, and in international joint clinical trials. As a basic matter, development of regenerative medical products can’t be done without the cooperation of medical doctors. In addition to receiving their assistance at the clinical trial stage, we also need to work with doctors in various other ways when actually treating patients. The advice of medical doctors is also invaluable in designing products in forms that are easier to implant and developing packages that are more user-friendly. In addition, we have learned much about CAR T-cell therapy from the people at Nagoya University. We are looking forward to working with doctors on these applications of CAR T-cell therapy.

LINK-J Activities

As many of you may know, our company and Mitsui Fudosan have worked with the Life Science Innovation Network Japan (LINK-J) in various ways through the organization’s activities. Despite being a company in the real estate industry, they are deeply interested in the field of regenerative medicine. At first glance, this may appear to be a collaboration with a party in an unrelated industry, but they are in fact a very important partner for the social implementation of regenerative medicine on a community-wide basis. As a matter of course, the transportation involved in regenerative medicine that utilizes a patient’s own cells should utilize the shortest routes possible. Going forward, we believe that we will be able to establish even better collaborations by expanding our bases of operation.

Together with Many Comrades

For the top message on our website this year, we chose to say: “In the future, we hope to make further strides forward in cooperation with various stakeholders.” Platform-based developments are crucial for regenerative medicine. We took the first step forward with Kashiwa-no-ha. Going forward, we hope to engage in a full-scale collaboration with Teijin so that we can become a gateway city for participation from overseas in regenerative medicine and ensure that our efforts will create a win-win relationship for everyone involved.

November 1, 2022