Regarding receiving the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award at the 5th Japan Open Innovation Awards, hosted by the Cabinet Office.

Initiative/Project Name

"Social implementation of a domestic, domestically produced, and domestically consumed platform that uses domestically produced and storable umbilical cords to save the lives of patients with rare and intractable diseases."

Award winners

From left to right: Professor Tokiko Nagamura, President Yusuke Fukujin, President Masamitsu Harada, and Executive Officer Yoichi Honma.

Project Overview

For patients suffering from rare and intractable diseases who are struggling due to the lack of effective treatment options, Regenerative medicine offers a glimmer of hope. To change Japan's situation, which is heavily reliant on overseas sources and subject to limitations, we are focusing on the potential of umbilical cord as a raw material for regenerative Regenerative medicine (cell therapy) and aiming to implement a "domestic production and consumption type cell therapy platform" in society. This project is expected to contribute to "strengthening the domestic production and consumption type supply chain," which could serve as a model for sustainable Regenerative medicine (cell therapy) even in times of emergency.

Details of the initiative

Through collaboration with Human Life Code, the Medical Science Institute Hospital Umbilical Cord Blood and Umbilical Cord Bank, Rohto Pharmaceutical, and Alfresa, we have established a comprehensive supply chain structure, from procuring umbilical cords as raw materials to mass culture of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal cells for commercialization, and from the transportation and distribution of these cell products to medical institutions to sales. Using these cell products, we are conducting clinical trials for several intractable diseases for which there are currently no effective treatment options. We aim to obtain regulatory approval as a Regenerative medicine product and put it into practical use in medical settings.

Roles of each company in this project

Award winner's comments

1. Masamitsu Harada, President and Representative Director and CEO, Human Life Code Co., Ltd.

   While we are still only halfway there for the patients who are waiting, the fact that we have received such positive feedback at this stage is entirely due to our employees and their supportive families, as well as our long-standing collaborators, the Institute of Medical Science Hospital, Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Alfresa Co., Ltd., and all other related parties who have provided us with their support on a daily basis. Once again, we express our heartfelt gratitude. Moving forward, under our corporate philosophy of "Connecting the Bonds of Life, Connecting the Future," we will continue to further promote the research and development and business of mesenchymal stem cells utilizing umbilical cords, which have great potential from environmental, scientific, and industrial application perspectives, so that we can connect with the hope of living for as many patients as possible who are waiting for a new treatment option.

2. Tokiko Nagamura, Vice Hospital Director, Institute of Medical Science Hospital, University of Tokyo / Director, Umbilical Cord Blood and Umbilical Cord Bank Facility

   I am deeply honored to receive such a prestigious award. Up until now, we have progressed through the development process from the preclinical stage, which included basic studies of umbilical cords, manufacturing method studies, and quality and safety testing, to clinical trials (investigator-initiated trials and company-sponsored trials). In particular, the strong collaboration with these companies has brought us closer to realizing medical implementation. We will continue to work even harder to provide umbilical cord-derived cells, which form the foundation of this project, in a high-quality and safe manner, and to deliver them to patients who ultimately need treatment as quickly as possible. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all those who understood and cooperated in the collection of umbilical cords: the mothers of the babies, obstetricians and gynecologists, transporters, staff of umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord banks, clinical trial personnel, patients and medical professionals who participated in the trials, and everyone else involved.

3. Yoichi Honma Executive Officer and Head of Regenerative medicine Research Planning Department, Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

   I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious award. This award is entirely thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, and I express my sincere gratitude. Our company is dedicated to the research and development of Regenerative medicine and cell manufacturing, providing new treatment options for patients who lack appropriate treatment options. In order to quickly provide new treatments to patients in need, we will continue to address the challenge of establishing a stable domestic supply and system for human cell raw materials, which is a key issue in the widespread adoption of Regenerative medicine, by utilizing our strengths in cell manufacturing technology.

4. Yusuke Fukujin, President and Representative Director of Alfresa Co., Ltd.

   While Regenerative medicine products are beginning to be introduced into clinical practice, the industry remains immature. To promote their widespread adoption and develop them into a viable industry, similar to pharmaceuticals, a robust domestic supply chain is essential. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells are highly versatile cell materials and are expected to be used in the treatment of rare and intractable diseases. This initiative, which ensures the domestic procurement and stable supply of high-quality cell materials, will occupy a crucial position in the domestic supply chain. We are delighted to have participated in this initiative and hope to further its growth in the future.
   Let this award encourage us to further deepen our cooperation and become a vital force supporting Regenerative medicine in our country.

About the Japan Open Innovation Award​ ​(from the Cabinet Office website)

Amidst intensifying international competition for innovation, a major challenge is the rapid implementation of research and development results into society, leading to the resolution of social needs and the creation of new value. Open innovation, which combines knowledge, technology, and management resources across organizational boundaries to promote new initiatives, is attracting attention as a method to achieve this. In light of this situation, in order to further promote open innovation in Japan, we have decided to recognize pioneering and highly original initiatives that are expected to serve as role models for the future with the "Japan Open Innovation Award." This award recognizes open innovation initiatives that are exemplary, have a significant social impact, and are sustainable, and will award ministerial awards, director-general awards, and presidents' awards from economic and academic organizations in each relevant field.

About Human Life CORD Japan Inc.​

Human Life Code's vision is to create a society where everyone can live a fulfilling life ("Human Life") by manufacturing and developing cell-based medicines from domestically produced and storable umbilical cords ("Code"), connecting them to patients with intractable diseases for which there are currently no established treatments ("Code"), and ultimately connecting them to future medical care aimed at preventing the worsening of diseases that will lead to an extension of healthy lifespans ("Code"). In 2019, it won the Grand Prize and the Tokyo Governor's Award at the 1st Tokyo Venture Company Championship. It was also selected as a company to receive support in 2022 from the "Deep Ecosystem" operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Startup Ecosystem Tokyo Consortium".

About the Umbilical Cord Blood and Umbilical Cord Bank at the Institute of Medical Science Hospital, University of Tokyo​

The Umbilical Cord Blood and Umbilical Cord Bank at the Institute of Medical Science Hospital, University of Tokyo, was established in April 2017 as part of the hospital's clinical research support organization. It promotes basic research and the development of treatments for regenerative/cellular medicine using cells obtained from umbilical cords and umbilical cord blood, as well as for hematological diseases and rare, intractable diseases. Simultaneously, it is building a system for manufacturing cells for clinical research and providing cells for basic and fundamental research. It is also advancing the formulation of cells (creating relatively uniform cells like drugs) and resource banking aimed at administration to patients.

About ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.​

Rohto Pharmaceutical has adopted "Connect for Well-being" as its comprehensive management vision for 2030, aiming to become "a company that provides all kinds of solutions related to health and beauty." In addition to its health and beauty business, which develops and sells products such as eye drops, oral medications, and skincare products, Rohto has been promoting Regenerative medicine business since 2013. Based on the "cell handling technology" cultivated through the research and development of skincare products and the "sterile formulation technology" cultivated through the manufacture of eye drops, Rohto is engaged in Regenerative medicine research and is working to contribute to the social implementation of Regenerative medicine by utilizing its technological capabilities in cell processing and formulation.

About Alfresa Corporation​

Alfresa is committed to fulfilling its social mission of delivering the pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies that our customers and patients need, when they need them, in the right quantities, and to the right places, with "safety, security, and high quality." Within the Alfresa Group, which has a distribution platform that covers all of Japan, Alfresa operates in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Koshinetsu, and Kyushu. We offer a "full line of products" that includes almost all domestic and international manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, diagnostic reagents, medical devices, etc., supported by "thorough quality control and a safe and secure delivery system." In addition, we strive to respond flexibly and promptly to the diverse needs of our customers and patients through our high-quality "information provision capabilities."