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

厚生労働省

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.

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).

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.

Masakatsu Noguchi

SMILE CURVE, Inc.

Main specialty areas

  • medicines
  • medical devices
  • regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

  • Marketing
  • Business planning
  • Business operation systems

Ph.D. in life sciences. Worked at consulting firm Dream Incubator, consulting in industry-academia collaboration, business support for tech startups (bio, semiconductor, environmental energy), new business development for large corporations, and overseeing government mega-projects. Previously employed at Abbott Japan and Singapore, managing product marketing for diagnostic tests, pharmaceuticals (women's health), and Asia-Pacific marketing for medical IT. As Business Development Director at Sanamedi, facilitated the commercialization of new medical devices, handled regulatory applications and market launches, and supported investments in and assistance to startups. Additionally served as an evaluator for AMED, and as a mentor for NEDO and university accelerator programs. Currently working independently, he serves as a specially appointed associate professor in the Hiroshima University and as an strategic advisor of MEJ.

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.

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.

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