R&D

About R&D

In July 2023, we discovered a stem cell culture supernatant with higher cellular activity than conventional ones. We established an automated culturing method for large-scale production and began offering it as U-Factor® solution. We continue to engage in further research and development.

Important Information to Know First

For Unmet Medical Needs

Current Status of Drug Development in Japan

The diagram above shows the number of new drug developments categorized by treatment satisfaction and drug contribution (*). When looking at the efforts of pharmaceutical companies to address unmet medical needs, it is evident that although there are a certain number of pipelines for diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s disease found in the third quadrant, the level of satisfaction with treatments remains very low.

In the first quadrant, diseases like atopic dermatitis and Crohn’s disease exhibit high satisfaction and drug treatment contribution. However, these diseases still face significant challenges, such as issues with side effects, poor patient adherence, and insufficient therapeutic effects for some patients.

U-Factor® solution contains a variety of components that work synergistically to achieve improvements not possible with conventional treatments. We are committed to broadening the scope of drug development and increasing treatment options through extensive research. Our continued challenge is to enhance the quality of life (QOL) for many patients and address unresolved medical needs.

*Data from Fiscal Year 2019 and as of the end of May 2022

R&D STORY

01 July 2023

We discovered a culture supernatant with higher cell activity

Our research team, in collaboration with Senior Principal Researcher Yuji Teramura from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), has been making continuous efforts since August 2021. As a result, we successfully developed a culture supernatant with significantly higher cell activity compared to conventional stem cell culture supernatants. This new supernatant marks a groundbreaking step toward its practical application as a therapeutic formulation. We’ve filed for a patent (application pending) and named this innovative culture supernatant "U-Factor®

*Patent Pending

02 December 2023 Achieving large-scale cultivation for cost reduction

We developed a 3D Automated Cultivation System

The project, which began in 2020, transitioned from manual flask cultivation to the use of automated cultivation systems, establishing a method for large-scale production of U-Factor® solution. This advancement enables cost reduction and stable supply, making it possible to provide U-Factor® solution to a wider audience.

03 Cell Activator

The Birth of U-Factor® solution

U-Factor® solution is the result of many years of research and development. We've established a method to extract stem cell culture supernatant—known to contain various bioactive substances—with high purity and efficiency. The U-Factor® solution, successfully cultured, extracted, and purified in large quantities, holds limitless potential.

Contains a highly abundant amount of cytokines
An exceptionally high-purity supernatant
Higher activity than exosome solutions
Mass production using an automated cultivation system

OUR PRODUCT

Features The stem cell culture supernatant born from years of research and development

The key features of U-Factor® solution

Our proprietary technology and expertise are packed into the U-Factor® solution, which contains a highly abundant amount of cytokines. Moreover, it's an exceptionally high-purity supernatant, as we have thoroughly removed impurities and denatured substances such as lactic acid and ammonia.

Additionally, we mass-produce this U-Factor® solution using our unique automated cultivation system, and we've established a process that removes unintended proteins using a special raw culture supernatant. As a result, experiments measuring the impact and activity on cells have confirmed that our supernatant solution increases activity more effectively than exosome solutions (as shown in the line graph).

Our goal is to apply this U-Factor® solution in the treatment of various diseases.

The purification process of U-Factor® solution

Pipeline

Development Pipeline

Advancing research and development of U-Factor® solution for various refractory diseases
Active collaboration in research and development with other universities and external medical institutions
Alongside the formulation of U-Factor® solution, we are also advancing specific clinical research.

We are actively collaborating with other universities and medical institutions to promote basic research and specific clinical studies using U-Factor® solution. In particular, we are conducting experiments focused on cell regeneration and tissue repair with the goal of developing treatments for refractory diseases. We are advancing joint in vivo and in vitro experiments with top-level research institutions both domestically and internationally, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and expertise. We are also systematically conducting preclinical trials and clinical trials to confirm the safety and efficacy of these treatments, with the aim of bringing U-Factor® solution-based therapies to practical use as soon as possible.

We are confident that U-Factor® solution will improve the quality of life for patients, and we remain fully committed to our ongoing research and development efforts.

Last updated: June 30, 2024

Disease	Item	2024				2025
		Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3		Q4
ALS	Specific Clinical Research		Prospective Research						Large-Scale Clinical Research
ALS	Basic Research			We are conducting joint research with Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine.
Parkinson's Disease	Basic Research			We are conducting joint research with Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine.
Dry Eye	Basic Research	We are conducting joint research with Keio University School of Medicine.
Dry Eye	Preclinical Trials
Glaucoma	Basic Research		We are conducting joint research with Keio University School of Medicine.
Cerebral Aneurysm	Basic Research		We are conducting joint research with Tokyo Women’s Medical University.
Rheumatoid Arthritis	Basic Research		We are seeking collaborative research partners.
Crohn's Disease	Basic Research		We are seeking collaborative research partners.