2017/10/12（木）
Regcell Co., Ltd. - Generate innovative cell therapy by controlling the immune system
Naoto Matsuda, CEO, Regcell Co., Ltd.
RegCell develops new drugs for autoimmune disease and cancers using immunosuppression technology. I have been suffering from pollinosis for nearly 20 years. The development of pollinosis and other allergic diseases is associated with autoimmune cells, such as T-cells, and Tregs which control them. As Tregs decrease, T-cells are activated and attack cell tissues, causing autoimmune diseases such as diabetes. We have developed an ex-vivo Treg culture system to suppress excessively activated T-cells to control autoimmune diseases.
RegCell has two business projects: one is related to allergies, autoimmune diseases and organ transplantation, for which the ex-vivo Treg culture system is used; the other is cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) therapy for cancer where iPS cell-derived CTL cells are produced.
At our company, Professor Emeritus Sakaguchi at Osaka University, a prominent immunologist, serves as CTO, and Prof. Kawamoto at Kyoto University as scientific advisor. We have received about ¥600 million in funds. We are planning to establish key technology by the end of this year, establish a manufacturing process and conduct pre-clinical trials during 2018 and 2019, and start clinical trials in 2020. We believe that it is possible to develop new therapeutic methods by controlling the autoimmune system.
[Mentors' comments]
"Cell therapy has become a much-discussed topic. However, conducting clinical research is different from establishing a therapeutic method. You therefore have to overcome two major issues: patents and partnerships." Dong Wu, Johnson & Johnson INNOVATION
"A large number of patients for this therapeutic method can be expected. To make your presentation more convincing, it is better to include numerical rationales, such as the number of patients and the size of the market." Elizabeth Steele, MassBIO
[Speaker Profile]
He started his career with Fujifilm Corporation after obtaining Master's degree in Organic Science at Waseda University. In 2015, he joined iPS Portal Inc. as Vice President, Manager and Executive Secretariat. He then became CEO of Regcell Co. Ltd. when the company was founded in Jan. 2016.
Regcell Co., Ltd. website: http://regcell.jp/
