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

Satoshi Fukushima

Globis Capital Partners & Co.

He graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo. He was involved in investment activities in reformed fields of existing industries, including digital health, at Globis Capital Partners & Co. (GCP). He served as an outside director of several companies, including Medley, Inc., Kakehashi Inc., and Yoriso. Co. Ltd., and provided support to their management personnel mainly in strategy formulation, development of the organization, and finance. In addition to investigation activities, he provided support for fund structuring and open innovations provided by large companies in healthcare fields.

Before joining GCP, he was serving as an M&A advisor mainly in the technology, media, and telecommunication fields and worked on financing at the general headquarters of German Securities Finance Corporation.

Tadashi Sameshima

I have been engaged in product development and business operations of medical devices and regenerative medicine products for 37 years at Terumo Corporation. I have experienced the development of medical devices such as extracorporeal circulatory and blood transfusion devices, as well as the development to commercialization of cellular products. In addition, I am able to provide specific advice on various stages of development based on my participation in joint research with universities, collaboration among companies, discussions with government agencies, and activities of industry associations.

Aiko Kato Sullenberger

RykoTECH　President

Aiko Kato Sullenberger, CEO of RykoTECH, a significant contributor within the Boston startupecosystem for several years, brings a wealth of experience in various roles, spanning investor,startup, and accelerator. She provides specialized advisory services comprehensive strategicconsultation and facilitation of market entry into the US across diverse sectors, including drugdiscovery, medical devices, digital health, digital therapeutics and biotech. Aiko can help 　 • Fundraising • Strategic Partnership Development • Create Deal Flow (Connecting with Potential Investors) • Identifying Partners and Advisors • Assistance in Facilitating Clinical Trials • Corporate Strategy: Investment Thesis, Portfolio Analysis • Market / Trend Research & Analysis • Go-to-Market Strategy • Academic Business Liaison: Interdisciplinary Project Lead • Cross-Functional Team Building

Kazuhiro Takekita

Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Vascular Regeneration and Podiatry, Associate Professor

He was involved in launching a project of regenerative medicine by using autologous skeletal muscle-derived cell sheets in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University. Subsequently, he was involved in the evaluation of regenerative and biological devices at the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). He performed several duties related to the Health Labour Sciences Research Grant, clinical study of human stem cells, and advanced medical care at the Research and Development Division, Health Policy Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. After that, he led the regenerative medical product evaluation unit as chief of the Office of Review for Regenerative Medical Product, PMDA. Also, he was involved in improving the legislation for regenerative medical products in the revision of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in 2014. From August 2017, he has been serving as a specially appointed lecturer in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, where he promotes projects to develop various products derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells.

Yoshimi Naruo

Orizuru Therapeuics, Inc. Associate Director, IP&Legal Ph.D., Patent attorney

Education: Ph.D. in Bioinformatics/Systems Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Conducted research in systems biology at RIKEN for 3 years (student internship). Experience: 5 years of experience in drug regulatory affairs at an originator pharmaceutical company, followed by 2 years as an in-house IP specialist handling invalidation and infringement matters at a generic pharmaceutical company. Patent prosecution primarily in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and food at an IP law firm. Fulfilling a long-held aspiration to join a startup, she took on the role of Vice President of Legal IP & Strategy at Splink, Inc., where she contributed to winning the Grand Prix at the 3rd IP BASE AWARD hosted by the Japan Patent Office and the 2022 WIPO Global Awards hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Currently, she is responsible for intellectual property and legal affairs at Orizuru Therapeutics, Inc., a company aiming to commercialize regenerative medicine derived from iPS cells. She leads the formulation of IP strategies and the development of an IP portfolio. Her strength lies in creating IP strategies with a focus on pharmaceutical regulatory affairs, and she strives to provide practical advice in the face of limited resources and uncertainties surrounding technology and commercialization.