医療系ベンチャー・トータルサポートオフィス：MEDISO ( Medical Innovation Support Office )

2026年8月8日（土）～2026年8月17日（月）は、休業とさせていただきます。
この期間中にお受けしたお問い合せ・ご相談の申込みについては、休業明けに対応させていただきます。
何卒ご了承のほどお願いいたします。

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 inquiries

In 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).

Yuki Yamakage

Representative Director, Takashi Shimada Office Co., Ltd.
Managing Partner, BD Consulting Ltd.

Main specialty areas

medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Marketing
Business planning
Etc

I have experience working for a global medical device company in insurance strategy development and insurance applications for products in a wide range of medical specialties and disease areas, as well as market access work (relevant academic societies, patient groups, government agencies and industry associations). I have now set up my own private practice and provide support to medical device and pharmaceutical companies and new entrants in terms of healthcare and care systems and insurance strategies. I have experience in the insurance application category (C1/C2 applications) for innovative medical devices. I also have a lot of experience in training employees and conducting seminars, most recently on SaMD insurance applications. My motto is to provide consulting services that address the concerns of my clients after explaining information on insurance applications for medical devices in a way that is easy to understand for beginners.

Atsushi Shimada

Chief Technology Development Officer ・ Specially Appointed Professor,
Tohoku University Drug Discovery Strategy Promotion Organization

AN Venture Partners, Venture Partner

Main specialty areas

medicines
medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Marketing
Business planning
Funding
Business operation systems
Specialized support fields
Etc

Atsushi Shimada is a Specially Appointed Professor and Chief Technology Development Officer (CTDO) at Tohoku University, where he leads initiatives to accelerate the commercialization of academic innovations and the creation of university spinout companies. He also serves as a Venture Partner to AN Venture Partners, a cross-border life sciences venture capital firm investing in innovative biotechnology companies. Prior to joining Tohoku University, Mr. Shimada held leadership positions in intellectual property, business development, and corporate strategy at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company and Bayer. He subsequently became a life sciences investor, supporting the formation, financing, and growth of early-stage biotechnology startups. Throughout his career, he has led numerous strategic licensing transactions, M&A projects, technology transfer initiatives, venture investments, and intellectual property strategies across a broad range of therapeutic areas. As a registered Japanese Patent Attorney, Mr. Shimada combines scientific expertise with extensive experience in intellectual property, venture capital, and pharmaceutical business development. He has worked closely with researchers, entrepreneurs, pharmaceutical companies, universities, and investors to translate cutting-edge scientific discoveries into successful commercial ventures. As a MEDISO Startup Support Mentor, Mr. Shimada provides practical guidance on startup formation, business strategy, intellectual property, licensing, fundraising, and global commercialization. Drawing on his unique perspective as both a technology commercialization executive and venture investor, he is committed to helping researchers and entrepreneurs build globally competitive life sciences startups and maximize the societal impact of their innovations.

Kenichi Yamahara

Professor at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Hyogo Medical University
Representative Director of CTEX Co., Ltd.

Main specialty areas

medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Regulatory compliance
Marketing
Business planning
Business operation systems
Specialized support fields

From the time of a former position at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, he planned and implemented the formulation of the amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells and investigator-initiated clinical trials for acute grafts versus host disease/Crohn's disease under the support by Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants/AMED. He often had PMDA consultations on the products of regenerative medicine and acquired knowledge of laws and regulations. Taking advantage of the experience, he founded a venture, Japan Biomedical Co., Ltd., which manufactures the domestic bovine serum NeoSERA® for the products of regenerative medicine by satisfying the standards for biological materials in January 2017. Furthermore, in order to aggressively develop investigator-initiated clinical trials of cell therapy making use of university hospital infrastructures, he founded a venture, CTEX Co., Ltd., from Hyogo Medical University in February 2018. Recently, he participated as a medical expert in the company developing the regenerative medical product and is a principal investigator for investigator-initiated clinical trials for the development of cell therapy in the medical device category (adopted by AMED). Currently, he is working on the practice of cell therapy development initiated at the university hospital while concurrently serving in the basic and clinical departments of Hyogo Medical University.

Masakazu Masujima

Partner, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Main specialty areas

medicines
medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Regulatory compliance
Funding
Business operation systems
Specialized support fields

Masa is a guru of startup legal advisory space in Japan. Based on the experiences at Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, his advice is West Coast style; progressive, risk-base and proactive. Through more than 2 dacades of dedication to the startup space, he has advised IPOs, M&As and major cross-border fundraising for may startups, including biotech and healthcare ones, and have also worked with entrepreneurs through a variety of touch situation, such as disputes between founders, problems with investors as well as intellectual property disputes. Masa has served as a council member of numerous Government committees, such as Regulatory Reform Promotion Council, the Regulatory Sandbox Committee, the Digital Market Competition Council and the Industrial Structure Council. He is admitted to NY bar and Japan bar, and a licensed patent attorny in Japan.

Tomokazu Ichikawa

Director, TM Research and Investments Pte. Ltd.

Main specialty areas

medical devices

Specialized support fields

Regulatory compliance
Business planning
Funding

Leveraged cross-functional expertise in business strategy and legal to work on strategy development, M&A, and investments in the medical device sector. Practiced law at Nagashima, Ohno and Tsunematsu, handling M&A and other corporate matters. Worked for McKinsey & Company and Hoya Corporation. Completed several acquisitions and investments in the US and Europe in the medical device business. Experienced managing a healthcare service operator in India. Currently, helping AI Medical Service, an artificial intelligence software startup for endoscope and CUC, a healthcare service provision related company. Spent more than 10 years in Singapore and familiar with business in Southeast Asian countries. Graduated from Waseda University, London Business School's Masters in Finance, and Cambridge's MBA. Attorney at law admitted in Japan.

About details of specialists

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.

See more about measures implemented by public institutions