A comprehensive portal site for Medical Innovation Support Office (MEDISO).
Knowledgeable experts support
the practical application of medicines,
medical devices,
and regenerative medicinal products.
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).
Akihiko Watanabe, Ph.D.
President, GlobalHumanScienceInnovation; Senior Consultant, Headland Strategy Group; Visiting Professor, Gifu Pharmaceutical University; BD Consultant, United Immunity; Executive Advisor, SOKK Japan
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Marketing
- Business planning
- Funding
- Business operation systems
With R&D expertise atJapanese and global pharmaceutical companies as a backbone, he has been engaged in marketing, BD, management planning and fundraising, in addition to R&D. In the Editorial Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, he organized roundtable discussions and special issues on practical application of academia seeds. He has been thinking about how Japanese bio-ventures can succeed. Over the past five years, he has worked at bio-venture companies as CBO or VP of BD and open innovation. He is also engaged in the making and analysing stratetgies of management, business, R&D, and marketing for pharmaceutical companies and bio-ventures on commission from a US consulting firm.
Hiroyuki Hasegawa
Director of Life Science, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Regulatory compliance
- Marketing
- Business planning
- Funding
- Business operation systems
He graduated with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University. In 1994, he joined Daiichi Seiyaku Company (current Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited) and was in charge of the areas of infectious diseases and cancers in the Department of Post-marketing Surveillance. In 2004, he joined UFJ Capital Co., Ltd. (current Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.), where he served as an analyst and capitalist. From 2013, he made an attempt to use open innovation for the Development of Emerging Technologies (OiDE) Fund for the purpose of nurturing outcomes from academia-launched research to become the fundamental technology for drug discovery in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited(liquidated in 2023).Since the first fund in 2017, we have been promoting investment activities using a total of 50 billion yen, including the "Mitsubishi UFJ Life Science Fund No. 4" (20 billion yen).Currently, he holds the position of outside director at Kamuipharma, GAIA Biomedicine, and Luxonus Co. Ltd., as well as serving as a fellow for collaboration between industry and academia at Kyoto University Medical Science and Business Liaison Organization.
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.
Tomohisa Hayasaki
GVA LPC Attorney-at-Law / Partner
The Leader of The Team ""Medical / Healthcare / Cosmetic Industry""
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Regulatory compliance
- Marketing
- Funding
- Specialized support fields
- Etc
After registering as a lawyer, I have been handling disputes such as corporate and labor disputes, as well as providing legal support for the designing lawful business models of new businesses and for funding. In addition, I have been providing legal support for businesses in the field of medical and beauty based on my knowledge of laws relating to medicals including the Japanese Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices and the Japanese Medical Care Act. In particular, I have been providing extensive support for numerous businesses operating in new field such as Software as Medical Device (SaMD) and Non-Software as a Medical Device (Non-SaMD), telemedicine/home call medical services, and also for companies utilizing medical information by employing new technologies such as AI. I am also addressing legal issues faced by companies using advance technologies. Furthermore, I have expertise in the latest marketing trend and offer advice on marketing strategies based on the Japanese Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, advertising regulations in Japan such as medical advertising regulations, and medical and pharmaceutical devices regulations.
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.
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)
