Established Teijin Ligenette as an operating company specializing in CDMO products such as regenerative medicine
Please tell us about the history of your company's establishment and business details.
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: In considering the next business development, Teijin extracts the keyword "bio manufacturing". Based on our specialty chemistry, we also combine the power of biotechnology. On the other hand, in 2021, J-TEC, which has been engaged in the commercialization of regenerative medicine and other products for more than 20 years, became a group company of Teijin. As a result, the Company has further increased the feasibility of bio-manufacturing. Under such circumstances, we established Teijin Regennet Co., Ltd. based on the belief that it is best to clarify our responsibilities to our customers and establish a company specializing in this business that can respond quickly to the full-scale commercialization.
Mr. Sato, Teijin Ligenette: Our business consists of CDMOs for regenerative medicine and other products, mainly cell pharmaceuticals. From seeds to sample production for non-clinical and clinical research, clinical trial drug production, and commercial production.
It seems that the business will be developed in collaboration with J-TEC.
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: Yes, we have a cooperative framework with J-TEC. In doing so, I would like to make this Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 the center of regenerative medicine for the Teijin Group. Here, we and J-TEC members will cooperate with each other to achieve solid results. To that end, I would like you to be involved in J-TEC from the launch of the lab, and I have Mr. Ikeura and other J-TEC members also participate.
Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 is adjacent to the National Cancer Center. Do you want to focus on cancer first?
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: It is certain that we are focusing on that location. However, J-TEC's products include cultured epidermis and cartilage for transplantation, and CAR-T cell products for cancer are also being developed. In cooperation with J-TEC, which possesses not only technical capabilities but also research and development capabilities and pharmaceutical capabilities to produce products, we will enhance our system so that we can respond to customers' voices in areas other than cancer.
We would like to support our customers through the launch of our products. Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 is a base for that purpose.
What are the characteristics and strengths of your company in the CDMO business, such as regenerative medicine?
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: Based in Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1, we will provide solid support to product launch while accompanying our customers.
In the commercialization of general regenerative medicine products, for example, we often aim to achieve ultra-high performance like the highest-class sports car. However, the market will be limited. In order to establish a business as a business, it is necessary to incorporate the technology of luxury cars into popular cars that balance performance and price. The same applies to products such as regenerative medicine, and discussing and understanding the situation with customers and starting development will be an important “kimo” for successful projects. This laboratory is a place where sufficient dialogue and examination can be conducted for this purpose, and I believe this is our major feature and strength.
What role does Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 play in?
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: Here, we cover early-stage nonclinical research to clinical entry. Specifically, it will be a manufacturing facility for clinical research samples in accordance with the Safety Ensuring Act (Law Concerning the Safety of Regenerative Medicine, etc.) and clinical trial drugs under the GMP system. Currently, we are preparing an application for permission to manufacture specific cell processing products based on the Act, with the goal of obtaining approval around the summer of 2024. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
What is your outlook for the future?
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: Our first step is to develop customers and put our business on track, but we hope that it will become a business that expands the base of regenerative medicine in Japan in the future. To this end, we are now building a platform for regenerative medicine together with the professors of the National Cancer Center. While sharing work such as sample production for clinical research at our CPC (Self Processing Center), we would like to have many other players participate and discuss together to develop regenerative medicine products one after another.
The city is beautiful. This is also a decisive factor in choosing Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1.
What was the reason for entering Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1?
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: It was very attractive that we could work together with Mitsui Fudosan and the National Cancer Center to develop a new regenerative medicine platform.
From here, it is my personal impression, but when I got off at Kashiwa-no-ha Campus Station on Tsukuba Express, the city was good! It looked very beautiful. I think it's pretty important for the city to be pretty. Because in the future, as I start a new business with other members, I will surely encounter a lot of difficulties as well as good things. Even in such a case, if you get off the station and the beautiful city spreads out, your motivation will naturally rise. In this regard, Kashiwa-no-ha met with my feelings.
Please tell us your impressions after moving in.
Mr. Ikeura, J-TEC: I moved here and came to live near Kashiwanoha Campus Station. It is very comfortable to commute on foot by walking along the beautiful streets. At the link lab facility, I like the cafe terrace on the first floor. It's refreshing to be able to spend time talking with other staff.
Mr. Sato, Teijin Ligenette: If you are just at work, you tend to get stuck in your breath. However, there is a lot of common space in the facility, where you can talk with people you know, so it's good to relax and change your mind.
I haven't moved in yet, but you have also experienced interactions and encounters with other tenants.
Mr. Sato, Teijin Ligenette: I moved in at the end of October 2023, and at that time I held a small party for the celebration. When I asked Mitsui Fudosan to talk to other tenants, I was glad that many people came and talked about various things.
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: We are also a scientist, so if you touch the cutting-edge story, you'll get rid of it. Therefore, even if the fields are different, being able to listen and discuss in such a place is a stimulus, and it is a very attractive space because it leads to new perspectives and ideas.
I am also a member of LINK-J, a life science-related exchange platform.
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: Announcements such as our own events and news are made public using the LINK-J site. In addition, when we find interesting events at LINK-J, we deploy them within the company so that we can participate freely.
I hope this kind of lab will be the starting point for a new industry in Japan.
Please tell us what you expect from Mitsui Link Lab.
Mr. Hirai, Teijin Ligenette: In various fields, including regenerative medicine, corporate co-creation and business development are actively carried out, but I hope that a successful example will come from Mitsui Link Lab. As a result, it would be great if the perception that new Japanese industries and related businesses could be started from such labs became widespread and established. That's my wish now.
Of course, we will take on the challenge, but the cooperation of Mitsui Fudosan and the companies in this laboratory is essential. We will continue to work with you to achieve our ideals.