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MEDISOA comprehensive portal site for Medical Innovation Support Office (MEDISO).Medical Innovation Support Office

厚生労働省

Knowledgeable experts support
the practical application of medicines,
medical devices,
and regenerative medicinal products.

2026年4月28日（火）～2026年5月6日（水）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.

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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.

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).

Yumi Kawata ,MD, PhD

Hedgehog MedTech, Inc.

Main specialty areas

  • medical devices

Specialized support fields

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Marketing
  • Business planning
  • Funding
  • Business operation systems

She is Founder and CEO of Hedgehog MedTech, Inc, a start-up Digital Therapeutics (DTx) company. Previously, she was a manager with SoftBank Corp, where she evaluated new Healthcare & Life Science investment opportunities, managed relationships with strategic partners. Prior to SoftBank, she was a Government Relations specialist with Medley, Inc, where she built and maintained the relationships with Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Academia. She launched researches and POCs, contributing to the spread of telemedicine in Japan. She also served as a technical officer for MHLW. she was involved in the management of researches on Rare and Intractable diseases and Infectious Diseases.

Miyuki Shimizu

Medical Lab Partners Corporation

Main specialty areas

  • medical devices

Specialized support fields

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Marketing
  • Business planning
  • Business operation systems
  • Specialized support fields

She graduated from the Graduate School of Natural Science, Chiba University. She holds the degrees of doctor of medicine and master of management information. She worked on the development of medical devices and pharmaceutical products in a wide range of fields related to transfusions, surgical operations, general-purpose medical devices, dialysis, and rehabilitation at Terumo Corporation. She also has experience in a series of project developments from planning a project to commercializing at a medical practice, as well as experience in management. Since 2015, she has provided consulting services to more than 350 companies entering the medical industry as her current role. She is trying to provide consulting services with the viewpoint of the individual company in mind.

Masashi Matsunaga

Biospire Japan Ltd. / Biospire UK Ltd.
CEO

Main specialty areas

  • medicines
  • medical devices
  • regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

  • Marketing
  • Business planning
  • Funding
  • Business operation systems

As an experienced global business development strategist, Dr Masashi Matsunaga provides business soft-landing, clinical and regulatory support to the UK and European market. He also enables to support IP management, marketing and pitch-deck brush-up in the MEDISO support package. He is based at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, a core UK innovation hub located near Oxford.

Satoshi Ogawa

TMI Associates Partner (Attorney)

Main specialty areas

  • medicines
  • medical devices
  • regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Funding
  • Business operation systems
  • Specialized support fields
  • Etc

Satoshi Ogawa, Ph.D., is a partner at TMI Associates specializing in life sciences and healthcare. After earning his Ph.D. in Life Sciences from Kyoto University, he joined TMI Associates as an attorney. Following a three-year secondment at a law firm in New Delhi, India, he has been based at TMI’s Kyoto Office since 2019. Dr. Ogawa advises both Japanese and international clients on cutting-edge technologies, including regenerative medicine, digital health, and AI-driven healthcare solutions. His work covers startup support, patent licensing, industry–academia collaboration, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property disputes. He works extensively with universities, startups, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, venture capital firms, and public institutions. He also serves as an advisor to BioCommunity Kansai (BiocK) and HVC KYOTO, and contributes to conflict-of-interest (COI) committees and institutional review boards (IRBs). Dr. Ogawa is passionate about advancing innovation and helping clients navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges in the life science ecosystem. His publications include “Startup Intellectual Property and Legal Guidebook – Key Points for Early-Stage Bio and Life Science Ventures” (METI-Kansai) and “Healthcare Business Legal Consultation Handbook” (Chuokeizai-sha).

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.

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