Rohto Pharmaceutical and E-derm have entered into an agreement regarding exclusive evaluation and licensing options.
July 15, 2026
ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head office: Ikuno-ku, Osaka; President and Representative Director: Hidetoshi Segi; hereinafter "Rohto Pharmaceutical") and E-derm Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takehiko Kaneko; hereinafter "E-derm") are pleased to announce that they have entered into an agreement regarding exclusive evaluation and licensing options for hair care products developed by E-derm.
Since its founding, Rohto Pharmaceutical has focused on "health" and developed businesses in a wide range of fields, including eye care, skin care, oral medications, hair care, and Regenerative medicine, while promoting research and development that leverages knowledge across these fields. E-derm is working on developing new preventive and therapeutic methods based on the science of tissue stem cells in skin and hair.
By entering into this agreement, Rohto Pharmaceutical will exclusively evaluate whether to grant e-derm the exclusive right to manufacture and sell hair care products developed by e-derm based on its proprietary stem cell control technology in Japan. This agreement sets forth the terms regarding the upfront payment and royalties based on product sales when the option is exercised.
In June 2025, Rohto Pharmaceutical invested in E-Derm, and through this agreement, the two companies will further strengthen their relationship. Going forward, the two companies aim to create new value in the hair care field by combining E-Derm's cutting-edge research knowledge regarding tissue stem cells with Rohto Pharmaceutical's research and development capabilities and product development expertise cultivated across a wide range of business areas.
About E-derm Co., Ltd.
E-derm is a drug discovery startup originating from Tokyo University of Science, founded on cutting-edge research by Professor Emi Nishimura (Department of Aging and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo) on the aging and regeneration mechanisms of tissue stem cells. For diseases that are not adequately addressed by existing drug treatments in terms of efficacy and safety, E-derm aims to create new treatments through an innovative technology that promotes the protection and regeneration of epithelial stem cells in the body using small molecule compounds, thereby creating a new approach that "protects stem cells and promotes regeneration" and realizing a healthy and long-lived society where everyone can live a healthy life.
About ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Since its founding in 1899, Rohto Pharmaceutical has focused on "health" and addressed changes in society and consumers, developing businesses in a wide range of areas related to people's healthy daily lives, including eye care, skin care, oral medications, food products, hair care, and Regenerative medicine. In recent years, under the slogan "Connect for Well-being & Longevity," we have leveraged our long-cultivated cell research and business foundation to promote and evolve into a company that realizes longevity. Moving forward, we will continue to transform the science and technology we have cultivated into value that reaches consumers, contributing to people's healthy lives in the long term.