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.
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).
Hidehiro Ando
President & Representative, Andy Pharma Partners Inc.
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Marketing
- Funding
- Business operation systems
He graduated from the Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo. He joined Tanabe Pharma Corporation (present Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation). After being assigned to the research department of pharmacokinetics, he was involved in partnership-related business of international development department, research and development planning department, etc., including establishment of a joint venture with overseas companies. Subsequently, he worked in the technology transfer department of RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), a regenerative medicine venture, Bayer Yakuhin, a drug discovery venture, and he established a personal office. He has engaged in business development and licensing work for 40 years, and now, based on his experience and networks, he is supporting business development activities, such as licensing agreements and joint research of domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies/ventures. He provides comprehensive support services ranging from looking for appropriate partners, preparing the draft of contract outline, contract negotiation, and alliance management with partners after the partnership agreement. Especially, based on experience of practicing on both sides of venture and pharmaceutical companies, he keeps in mind providing informative advice and proposals for specific action plans.

Yoshinori Shinoki
Pharma Initiative Support LLC
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Regulatory compliance
- Marketing
- Business planning
- Business operation systems
He graduated from the Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, and is a licensed pharmacist. At Sawai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Eli Lilly Japan K.K., after taking charge of clinical development, business planning, etc., he acquired experience in planning and implementing various clinical development plans as a project leader for newly developed items in the project management department. In addition, he led NHI price negotiation strategy, post-marketing clinical startegy, and market planning. After that, he built up clinical development department at Global CRO. he also led the planning of the clinical development for Japan for small and biological products, as well as negotiating with regulatory authorities. Recently, in addition to medicines, he also led the development of clinical development strategies of medical devices and the products of regenerative medicine (gene therapy products and cell/tissue processed products).

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.

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.

Kensuke Suzuki
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Partner, Attorney-at-law
Main specialty areas
- medicines
- medical devices
- regenerative medicine products
Specialized support fields
- Regulatory compliance
- Business planning
- Funding
- Business operation systems
- Specialized support fields
Kensuke Suzuki is a partner at Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu. He represents both domestic and international clients, with a special focus on cross-border transactions, with respect to pharmaceutical, medical and healthcare business, M&A and corporate transactions, fund formation and management, and financial regulations. With expert knowledge of the Japanese medical, pharmaceutical, medical device, and other various healthcare-related regulations, he advises on a wide variety of business activities in the broad healthcare sector, such as regulatory compliance, data protection, mergers and acquisitions, alliances, business startups, financing, licensing and other commercial transactions. He was admitted to the Japan Bar in 2000 and worked as visiting attorney at Kirkland & Ellis (Chicago) from 2006 to 2007. He served as a special adviser to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare from 2014 to 2015. He is fluent in Japanese and English.

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



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