TOKIWA-Bio Inc.
TOKIWA-Bio is a venture company that develops Stealth RNA Vectors (SRV), which is an innovative technology for gene expression systems, and is aims to realize gene cell therapy and regenerative medicine. SRV is the world’s first RNA vector that realizes long-term stable gene expression in the cytoplasm, and it is practical to simultaneously load more than 10 genes in a single RNA vector. TOKIWA-Bio persist in developing highly safe vector for gene therapy and contribute to people suffering from genetic diseases around the world.
Hishoh Biopharma
HISHOH Biopharma is developing a novel synthetic compound, HSO-001, licensed from Daiichi Sankyo. This potent TLR4 agonist is designed for use in combination with existing sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) to enhance efficacy and significantly reduce the treatment period, aiming for “remission of allergy.” The focus is on SLIT for conditions such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies. The company is actively seeking investors to conduct a Phase 1 study in Australia in Q1 2025 to gather safety and biomarker data.
DuoGenic StemCells Corporation
DuoGenic StemCells Corporation, founded in 2018 in Taichung Science Park, specializes in efficient and standardized stem cell cultivation services. The company develops high-quality, certified stem cell culture media for both 2D and 3D applications, including mesenchymal stem cell culture media and human recombinant proteins. Key regulatory achievements encompass GMP certification, ISO 13485, and a second-class medical material license. Dedicated to innovation, DuoGenic is establishing mass production systems and advancing blood cell therapy programs for degenerative diseases through clinical trials.
Cyto-Facto Inc.
Cyto-Facto, a spin-out from the Cell Therapy Development Center (RDC) in Kobe, Japan, leads in GMP-compliant manufacturing and is Asia’s pioneer in CAR-T cell therapy production for Kymriah intravenous infusion. Building on a strong track record of successful technology transfers and operational excellence, Cyto-Facto now offers investigational product manufacturing using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). With cutting-edge facilities and extensive expertise, Cyto-Facto is dedicated to advancing regenerative medicine and meeting the diverse needs of clients in the evolving cell therapy landscape.
BioPhenoMA Inc.
BioPhenoMA has developed the TN-cyclon™ method, which offers ultrasensitive protein detection (LOD under 1 pg/mL) without the need for dedicated equipment. This innovative platform, created by Professor Etsuro Ito, combines conventional sandwich ELISA method with the enzyme cycling method, allowing it to detect extremely small amounts of protein without the need for large equipment or time-consuming pretreatment. By improving efficiency of drug discovery and development, as well as realization of personalized medicine, BioPhenoMA aims to uncover new therapeutic targets and contribute to progress in the biomedical field.
Auspex Diagnostics
Auspex Diagnostics offers a groundbreaking colorectal cancer test designed to assist stage II and III patients and their doctors in personalizing treatment based on individual tumor genetics. By analyzing unique tumor gene expression data and comparing it to a proprietary database, the test assesses the risk of cancer recurrence post-surgery and evaluates the efficacy of chemotherapy options. With a strong predictive capability, it categorizes patients into low and high-risk groups, guiding decisions on adjuvant chemotherapy.
Cellusion
Cellusion is dedicated to realize a new treatment method that manufactures corneal endothelium replacement cells from induced pluripotent (iPS) cells using a unique approach and transplants these cells into the eye using a syringe, enabling the cells to settle into the cornea within three hours post-surgery. Experimental studies on monkeys and other animals have confirmed the survival of the transplanted cells. Cellusion is now preparing for clinical research to ultimately address the needs of approximately 13 million patients worldwide awaiting corneal transplants, aiming to enhance the quality of life for those in need.
Apexcella Biomedical
Apexcella Biomedical has developed unique ApexNK® expansion technology that enables the mass production of NK cells with high purity and high cytotoxicity to provide affordable allogeneic NK or CAR-NK cell therapies to respond to unmet medical needs. It will initiate the Phase I trials of allogeneic ApexNK® cells with therapeutic antibodies to treat lymphoma or solid tumors in 2025. The first CAR-ApexNK candidate is expected to file IND in 2026.
Dawn Therapeutics
Dawn Therapeutics originating from the Imperial College London is going to deliver on the promise of Gene Therapy: a disruptive technology for ALL types of gene therapy & increasing patient access with a long duration of expression. Dawn Therapeutics is a privately held UK biotech established in November 2019 by its founding scientists and clinicians. Dawn is developing new and innovative disruptive technologies for patients with common & rare diseases, essentially developing “life-long” and “lower cost” Gene Therapies. This includes: – A proprietary integrative Lipid Nano Particle (iLNP) gene therapy technology – A systemic lentivirus gene therapy platform for mucopolysaccharidoses-1 (Hurler) and other lysosomal storage disorders.
Apterna
Apterna is pre-clinical biotechnology company developing chemically synthesized RNA aptamers that bind to target molecules with outstanding specificity and affinity. They are developing internalizing RNA aptamers that enable targeted delivery of various payloads including RNA, toxins, enzymes, chemotherapy agents, photodynamic molecules, radionuclides, and nanocarriers.