About K Pharma

The increasing incidence of unmet medical needs, particularly with respect to intractable neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries (SCI), has generated strong demand for effective treatments and associated drugs. The Keio University School of Medicine has for many years been a world leader in the field of iPS drug discovery (particularly following the 2007 publication of human iPS cell research by Shinya Yamanaka) as well as regenerative medicine. It was clear that we needed to start developing commercial applications for this research. To this end, K Pharma was founded in November 2016 by myself together with Professor Hideyuki Okano (Department of Physiology) and Professor Masaya Nakamura (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery).

K Pharma continues to work closely with the School of Medicine. Recent successes in iPS drug discovery include the completion of the first two phases of clinical trials of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment, with the third phase about to begin. We are also looking to expand on iPS drug discovery for other intractable neurological diseases. We are also working together on regenerative medicine, where the focus is currently on preparations for sponsor-initiated subacute SCI trials. In the future, we plan to broaden the scope of regenerative medicine to include treatments for chronic SCI and cerebral infarctions.

At K Pharma, we are motivated and inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of Shibasaburo Kitazato, the first dean of the Keio University School of Medicine, who said that research alone is of little consequence unless it can be of use to wider society. Another source of inspiration is Yukichi Fukuzawa, who stressed the importance of having the courage to try new endeavors, despite the risk of failure, because that is the only way that one can know the outcome. Our corporate philosophy is about promoting health care through innovation in medical science. The K Pharma policy is predicated on accelerating the development of effective new treatment drugs through targeted R&D in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. Above all, we are dedicated to improving patient outcomes.