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Texas Medical Center, Mitsui Fudosan, and the National Cancer Center Form PartnershipLaunch of "TMC Japan BioBridge / JACT Program"―Providing Japanese Healthcare Innovators with Access to the U.S. Market―
Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co., Ltd.
National Cancer Center
Key Points
- Texas Medical Center (TMC), one of the world's largest life science clusters, Mitsui Fudosan, and the National Cancer Center have formed a partnership.
- TMC has launched the TMC Japan BioBridge / Japan-Accelerator Cancer Therapeutics and Medical Devices (JACT) program (hereinafter collectively referred to as "the Program"), a U.S. market expansion support program for medical startups.
- Startups selected under the National Cancer Center's NCC Seed Acceleration Program (NCC SAP), set to launch this fiscal year, are planned as candidates for the Program.
Texas Medical Center (Houston, Texas; CEO: William F. McKeon, hereinafter referred to as "TMC") announced the launch of the Program in partnership with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshio Ueda, hereinafter referred to as "Mitsui Fudosan") and the National Cancer Center (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Hitoshi Nakagama, hereinafter referred to as "NCC").
In 2016, TMC launched the BioBridge program, a strategic accelerator program focused on supporting life science companies aiming to enter the U.S. market. Since then, TMC has partnered with organizations in the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Ireland, hosting a total of 88 emerging companies. Now, TMC is establishing its sixth international strategic partnership to launch the Program in Japan.
Under its new Group Long-Term Management Policy established in April 2024, Mitsui Fudosan has adopted a business strategy of exploring new fields beyond real estate. To this end, it has established an Innovation Promotion Division and is actively working to foster innovation and contribute to the creation of new industries. At Kashiwanoha Smart City, Mitsui Fudosan is advancing the development of a life sciences hub in collaboration with NCC and other organizations. It is also partnering with the Life Science Innovation Network Japan (LINK-J; Head Office: Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Hideyuki Okano) to contribute to the growth of the Program.
NCC will leverage its experience in supporting medical startups to nurture and assist startups selected under the NCC Seed Acceleration Program (NCC SAP)* and nominate candidates for the Program.
Through this initiative, the Program aims to provide Japanese medical startups with pathways to enter the U.S. market, contributing to the advancement of the healthcare industry in Japan.
*NCC SAP：The NCC SAP (Startup Assistance Program) is a program by the National Cancer Center that provides research resources and support functions to startup companies, promoting the practical application of innovative medical technologies.(URL: https://www.ncc.go.jp/html/ncce/sap/index.html)
Flow of Program Provision
Support Provided by the Program
The program will offer this structed process for medical and healthcare companies in Japan, starting with an initial program period where participants will gain insights into the US healthcare system. From there, these companies will meet decision-makers from pharmaceutical companies, hospital systems, and investors, receiving expert feedback on preparing for US regulatory approvals.
Three Key Focus Areas of the Program
1) Milestone development and financial planning, where participants will receive guidance on developing product milestones and managing financial requirements to support their US market ambitions.
2) Clinical and regulatory expertise, where participants will receive access to US-based key opinion leaders and mentors in clinical trial design, manufacturing, and regulatory strategy for streamlined US entry.
3) Strategic partnerships and market insights, where participants will be connected with venture investors, strategic partners, and US-based healthcare advisors to support successful commercialization.
Message
| “The launch of TMC Japan BioBridge is a vital step forward in connecting two global leaders in healthcare innovation,” said William F. McKeon, President & CEO at TMC. “Japan’s leadership has demonstrated an impressive commitment to advance medical cures and life sciences technologies and through this partnership, we are opening necessary doors for Japanese researchers and innovators to access the US market and collaborate with our TMC ecosystem. Together, we aim to accelerate critical breakthroughs to make a difference for patients all around the world.” |
| “The TMC Japan BioBridge provides an exciting, focused opportunity for Japanese companies to understand and navigate the complexities of US healthcare,” said Takeshi Ozane, General Manager of Kashiwanoha Urban Planning and Development Department at Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. “We are honored to be a leading part of this initiative that fosters innovation and collaboration between Japan and the United States in cancer treatment and the life sciences sector.” |
| “This TMC Japan BioBridge and JACT Program will enable us to promote the advancement of start-up companies aiming to commercialize innovative medical technologies originating in Japan into the U.S. We also hope this collaboration will not be limited to our AMED-supported project (National Cancer Center Seed Acceleration Program: NCC SAP) but will lead to further cooperation between TMC, NCC, and other Japanese institutions in various fields.” said President Hitoshi Nakagama President, National Cancer Center. |
About Texas Medical Center (TMC)
https://www.tmc.edu/ (linked at external site)
TMC is the world's most comprehensive life science ecosystem at the forefront of advancing life sciences. TMC is on a mission to further accelerate the pace of healing by harnessing our collective expertise in innovation, research, development, production, and patient care within a single, centralized medical ecosystem. With over 70+ million square feet and 120,000+ employees, TMC is leveraging the collective power by pioneering a revolutionary life sciences initiative to house the entire treatment of life cycle from discovery to delivery, within a single, world-class medical complex, on a scale never seen before.
About Texas Medical Center Innovation (TMCi)
https://www.tmc.edu/innovation/ (linked at external site)
Texas Medical Center Innovation forms, fosters, recruits, and funds healthcare companies worldwide that are writing the future of healthcare. TMCi performs diligence on the companies seeking to progress toward clinical and business milestones in collaboration with Texas Medical Center member institutions and our global network of advisors and embedded corporate partners. We align these resources through our globally recognized programs: Biodesign, Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics, and Health Tech.
About Mitsui Fudosan Co.
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/ (linked at external site)
Mitsui Fudosan is working to create new industries during this time of change in society and the economy. As a "Platformer," the company provides "Places" and "Communities" that bring together the ideas of companies, society, and individuals. In April 2024, it launched a Group’s New Long-Term Vision, setting a strategy to explore areas beyond real estate. To support this, Innovation Promoting Division was established to drive innovation and help create new industries. At Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, Mitsui Fudosan works with the public, private, and academic sectors to create a community where people can live healthy lives and where new life science industries can grow.
About National Cancer Center
https://www.ncc.go.jp/jp/index.html
The National Cancer Center has been leading Japan's cancer treatment and research since its founding in 1962 as a national institution that serves as the base for cancer treatment and research. Its Central Hospital (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) and East Hospital (Kashiwa-shi, Chiba) are designated as core clinical research hospitals under the Medical Service Act. Based on the philosophy of "working with society to provide optimal cancer treatment for all citizens," as an institution that plays a central role in investigator-initiated clinical trials, it practices cancer countermeasures from the perspectives of both generating world-class research results and maximizing R&D results and widely proposes strategies for doing so.
Sustainability in the Mitsui Fudosan Group
Based on the meaning of its “& mark,” “to generate new value with society through cooperation, coexistence and co-creation, we forge ahead, innovating,” the Mitsui Fudosan Group views the “creation of social value” and the “creation of economic value” as two wheels of a cart. Accordingly, we believe that the creation of social value leads to the creation of economic value, and that this economic value then creates even greater social value.
Moreover, we identified six Group Materiality priority issues when formulating our new management philosophy in April 2024. These Group Materiality priority issues are (1) Contribute to industrial competitiveness, (2) Coexist with the environment, (3) Health and Vitality, (4) Safety and security, (5) Diversity and inclusion, and (6) Compliance and governance. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will work to address each of the materialities through its core business activities and contribute to the promotion of sustainability.
(References)
・Group Management Philosophy and Long-Term Vision
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/innovation2030/ (linked at external site)
・Group Materiality
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/esg_csr/approach/materiality/ (linked at external site)
* The initiatives outlined in this release are designed to help address the following three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Inquiries regarding this matter
Texas Medical Center
Taylor Hallabuk
e-mail：TMCMedia●tmc.edu
Public Relations Department, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
TEL 03-3246-3155
Office of Public Relations, Strategic Planning Bureau
National Cancer Center (Kashiwa Campus)
e-mail：ncc-admin●ncc.go.jp
Download site for release images
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/press/ (linked at external site)
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