A comprehensive portal site for Medical Innovation Support Office (MEDISO).
What is MEDISO
MEDISO provides support for business ventures, academia,
and individuals intending to put into practical use medicines,
medical devices, and regenerative medicinal products.
Click here for further details.
About the Medical Innovation Support Office
The medical innovation support office matches medical venture companies and academic institutions facing challenges in the practical application of medical products and devices for specialists* who provide detailed consultation and support for solving problems at each stage from research and development to practical use, as well as insurance coverage at clinical sites, while looking ahead to the overall comprehensive advances and dissemination into the global market.
* Specialists in each field provide support for the response to laws and regulations, marketing, business planning, fund rasing, management strategy, intellectual property management, and international development, etc.
This website is operated by Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., as a trustee under instructions from the Economic Affairs Division, Health Policy Bureau, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a part of the total support for the medical ventures program sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Support targets
Ventures, academic institutions, and individuals aiming to put into practical use the medicines, medical devices, regenerative medicinal products, and novel drug-discovery technologies or medical materials subject to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law.
Details of support
MEDISO provides support for the practical application of medicines, medical devices, regenerative medicinal products, and other products subject to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law.
That support includes business planning, financing, advice on laws and regulations, and other assistance as required.
- ●Support method：We provide support via online meeting or e-mail.
- ●Support source：Support is provided in cooperation with experts in R&D, consultants in pharmaceutical affairs, and experts from related organizations including the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
- ●Remarks：Consultation and support services are free of charge.
Click here for inquiriesIn case the link does not work, please contact us at the email address below
mediso@ml.mri.co.jp
Specialists Introduction
We will introduce registered specialists
(updated as necessary).
Makoto Shigematsu
Representative Director, Kai Fostering Partners Inc.
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Marketing
- Business planning
- Funding
- Business operation systems
- Specialized support fields
He worked on a new project research and development, trial manufacture, mass production, and commercializing of glass delay line element for VTR at Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. He moved to CSKVC by making use of his relevant experience. As a venture capitalist, he engaged mainly in establishing, financing, fostering, and managing venture companies. He practiced monetizing of novel technologies, timely financing, establishing organization and management, sharing an exit strategy as a milestone, active use of intellectual property rights (open and close), and business talks and negotiations (not bargaining) hated by engineers. He has providing support for company’s growth fostered by competition and cooperation, while being employed by traditional companies for 20 years and by venture companies for 20 years with an understanding exactly the opposite of the corporate culture of both.
Hiroya Kuwahara
Department of Neurology and Neurological Science / Institute of Innovation Advancement
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Marketing
- Business operation systems
M.D. (graduated from Tokyo Medical and Dental University), and Ph.D. (completed doctral course at Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University). Specialist and Attending Neurologist of the Japanese Society of Neurology, and Fellow and Board Certified Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. He is engaged in 1) clinical practice, research, and education in neurology, 2) research and development of fudamental technologies for drug discovery (especialy nucleic acid drugs and drug delivery system), 3) promotion of clinical research and industry-academia collaboration, at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He has a career of a Deputy Director at Research and Development Division, Health Policy Bureau, at the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare from 2018 to 2019, and was involved in establishing a nationwide system for promoting clinical research and accelerating venture companies in the healthcare field. He provides consultations on the needs of clinical practice, on collaborative research and field provision in relation to project implementation, and on clinical research and development.
Kumi Sakurai
早稲田大学大学院理工学研究科で生体工学を専攻後、慶應義塾大学病院で10年以上にわたり血液研究に従事。その後、外資系医療機器メーカーであるベックマンコールター（2005年～）、日本メドトロニック（2007年～）、セントジュードメディカル（現アボットメディカル、2015年～）のマーケティング部門にて、医療機器の市場導入や事業戦略を担当。2019年、医療機器・ヘルスケア機器の開発支援を専門とするインキュベーター、プレモパートナー株式会社を共同創業。研究者・スタートアップ・大企業を対象に、事業戦略策定から薬事・保険償還・上市までを一気通貫で支援し、国内外のネットワークを活かして医療機器の事業化を推進している。
文部科学省 科学技術・学術審議会専門委員、東京都AMDAPカタライザー
早稲田大学大学院修了（工学修士）。金沢工業大学大学院修了（MBA）
Main specialty areas
- medical devices
Specialized support fields
- Marketing
- Business planning
- Business operation systems
After earning a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Waseda University, Kumi Sakurai engaged in over ten years of hematology research at Keio University Hospital. She then transitioned to the medical device industry, joining Beckman Coulter in 2005, Medtronic Japan in 2007, and St. Jude Medical (now Abbott Medical) in 2015, where she worked in marketing and business strategy for innovative medical technologies. In 2019, she co-founded Premo Partners Inc., an incubator specializing in the development and commercialization of medical and healthcare devices. Premo Partners supports researchers, startups, and large corporations throughout the entire innovation process—from business strategy formulation, market analysis, and regulatory and reimbursement planning to commercialization. Leveraging extensive domestic and international networks, the company provides end-to-end support to accelerate the delivery of essential medical technologies to patients and healthcare professionals. Through its comprehensive expertise in regulatory pathways, evidence generation, and global market access, Premo Partners plays a vital role in fostering Japan’s MedTech ecosystem and bridging it with the global healthcare innovation community.
Daisuke Sugiyama
Hiroshima University, Translational Research Center, Professor
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Regulatory compliance
- Funding
- Business operation systems
- Specialized support fields
- Etc
He obtained his PhD thesis at University of Tokyo. After working at several hospitals as a clinician, he has engaged in medical reserach at University Paris 6 (French Government Scholar), Dartmouth College (JSPS research fellow), Kyushu University and Hiroshima University. Based on the experiences working at ARO research core hospital and starting up bio-venture company, he supports and conducts both translational and clinical researches.
Akiyo Inoko Hewett
Inoko Law and Consulting, LLC Principal Attorney
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Regulatory compliance
- Business planning
- Funding
- Business operation systems
- Specialized support fields
Akiyo is an international attorney licensed in both Japan and the United States. She has extensive experience advising Japanese companies on U.S. legal matters. She began her legal career at an Am Law 200 U.S. law firm, where she advised Japanese companies of all sizes and their U.S. subsidiaries on a broad range of legal matters, including corporate governance, commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and compliance. She later joined AI Medical Service Inc., a Japanese healthcare startup, where she supported global commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, and the company's U.S. operations. As a Fractional General Counsel, she now advises multiple Japanese healthcare startups on U.S. market entry, business expansion, regulatory compliance, and day-to-day legal and operational matters.
Introduction of measures implemented by public institutions
We will describe the measures from public institutions for pharmaceutical companies,
medical device companies, companies manufacturing regenerative medicinal products, and venture companies.
- The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare／
- Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA)／
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)／
- Cabinet Office／
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry／
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications／
- Small and Medium Enterprise Agency／
- Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan／
- Union of Kansai Governments／
- New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)／
- Life Science Innovation Network Japan, Inc. (LINK-J)／
- Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)／
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)／
- INCJ, Ltd.／
- Osaka Prefecture／
- Tokyo Metropolis／
- Kanagawa Prefecture／
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN)
