Established Teijin Ligennet as a company specializing in CDMO products such as regenerative medicine
Please tell us about your company's history and business details.
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: In considering the next business development, Teijin has extracted the keyword "bio manufacturing". Based on our specialty chemistry, we combine the power of biotechnology. Meanwhile, in 2021, J-TEC, which has been working on commercialization of products such as regenerative medicine for more than 20 years, became Teijin's group company. As a result, the feasibility of bio-manufacturing has been further enhanced. Under such circumstances, we established Teijin Ligennet Co., Ltd., based on the idea that it is best to clarify our responsibilities to our customers and establish a company specializing in this business that can respond quickly to them in order to commercialize them in earnest.
Teijin Ligennet Sato: Our business consists of CDMOs for regenerative medicine and other products centered on cell pharmaceuticals. From seed projects to sample production for non-clinical and clinical research, trial drug production, and commercial production.
It seems that the business will be developed through collaboration with J-TEC.
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: Yes, we have a cooperative system between J-TEC and J-TEC. In this regard, 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 the members of J-TEC will cooperate with each other to achieve solid results. To that end, I would like you to be involved in J-TEC since the launch of the lab, and I also have Mr. Ikeura and other J-TEC members participate.
Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 is adjacent to the National Cancer Center. Do you want to focus on cancer first?
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: I'm sure you're focusing on your location. However, J-TEC's products include cultured epidermis and cartilage for transplantation, and CAR-T cell products for cancer are also under development. In cooperation with J-TEC, which has technical capabilities, as well as the research and development capabilities that produce products, and pharmaceutical capabilities, we will enhance our system so that we can respond to customer feedback in areas other than cancer.
We want to fully support our customers until product launches. Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 is a base for this purpose
What are the characteristics and strengths of your company in the CDMO business, such as regenerative medicine?
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: Based on Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1, we will support the product launch while accompanying customers.
In the commercialization of products such as regenerative medicine, we often aim for ultra-high performance like the finest sports car. But then the market is limited. In order to become a business, it is necessary to incorporate the technology of luxury cars into a well-balanced mix of performance and price, so to speak, popular cars. The same is true for regenerative medicine and other products. Discuss these situations with customers and start development while understanding each other is an important "mo" for successful projects. This lab is a place where dialogue and examination can be done enough, and I believe this is one of our major features and strengths.
What kind of role does Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 play?
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: Here, we cover everything from early stage nonclinical research to clinical entry. Specifically, it will be a manufacturing facility for clinical research samples and clinical trial drugs under the GMP system in accordance with the Safety Assurance Act (Act on Ensuring Safety of Regenerative Medicine, etc.). Currently, we are preparing an application for permission to manufacture specific cell processing products based on the Act, and we aim to obtain approval in the summer of 2024. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
What is your outlook for the future?
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: The first step is to develop customers and put their business on track, but in the future, we hope that it will expand the base of regenerative medicine in Japan. To this end, we are now building a platform for regenerative medicine together with our teachers at 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 the decisive factor in choosing Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1.
What was the reason for moving into Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1?
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: Together with Mitsui Fudosan and the National Cancer Center, it was very attractive to be able to carry out new initiatives on the regenerative medicine platform.
From here, it is my personal impression, but when I got off at Kashiwanoha-Campus Station on Tsukuba Express, the city was good! It looked very clean. I think it's pretty important for the city to be clean. For as I am starting a new business with other members, I am sure you will 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.
J-TEC Ikeura: I moved here and started living near Kashiwanoha-Campus Station. It is very comfortable to commute on foot by walking along the beautiful cityscape. I like the cafe terrace on the first floor at the Link Lab facility. It is refreshing to be able to spend time chatting with other staff.
Teijin Ligennet Sato: If you are just in the workplace, you tend to get stuck in your breath. But here, the common space of the facility is substantial, and you can talk to people you know there, so you can relax and change your mind.
It's not long since you moved in, but you've also experienced interactions and encounters with other tenants.
Teijin Ligennet Sato: I moved in at the end of October 2023, and at that time I held a small party for celebration. When I asked Mitsui Fudosan to speak to other tenants, I was glad that many people came and talked in various ways.
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: We are also scientists, so when you touch on the cutting-edge story, you swear. Therefore, even if the field is different, being able to listen and discuss in such a place is exciting, and it leads to new perspectives and ideas, so it is a very attractive space.
I am also a member of LINK-J, an exchange platform related to life sciences.
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: We publish announcements such as our own events and news using the LINK-J site. In addition, when we find interesting events at LINK-J, we deploy them internally so that they can participate freely.
Hopefully such a lab will be the starting point for a new industry in Japan.
Please tell us what you are expecting from Mitsui Link Lab.
Teijin Rijenette Hirai: In various fields, including regenerative medicine, corporate co-creation and business development are actively being carried out, but we hope that successful examples will be born from Mitsui Link Lab. As a result, it would be hoped that such a lab will be able to start a new Japanese industry and related business. That's my wish now.
Of course, we will take on challenges, but the cooperation of Mitsui Fudosan and the companies working in this lab is essential. We will continue to work with you to achieve your ideals.