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Real Tech Fund develops antibody drugs using innovative antibody production technology
Invested in "Made to Order Medical Research Co., Ltd."
Euglena Investment Co., Ltd.
Euglena Investment Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Akihiko Nagata) is expanding the possibilities of antibody drugs through innovative antibody production technology as a new investment destination for the venture capital fund "Real Tech Fund". We are pleased to inform you that we have invested in Custom-made Medical Research Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as OMR), which has succeeded in.
An antibody drug is a drug that uses an antibody * 1 that is the immune system of humans, and by utilizing the characteristic that one antibody recognizes and binds to only one target (antigen * 2), cancer cells. It is attracting attention as a therapeutic drug with few side effects that can realize treatment targeting only specific pathogenic cells. Membrane proteins * 3 that are specifically present on the cell membrane of cancer cells have been important targets in the development of antibody drugs for cancer treatment, but with conventional technology, only a small number of membrane proteins (20 types) There were many types of cancer that could only produce antibodies that targeted the weak) and could not be effectively treated.
By establishing the LIMAXYS method * 4, which is an antibody production technology that applies the mechanism by which cancer metastasizes, OMR has theoretically all membrane proteins, including types of membrane proteins that have been difficult to produce. It has made it possible to produce antibodies against (about 5,600 species). In addition, OMR has confirmed its excellent drug efficacy by producing an antibody that can attack drug-resistant cancer cells for which conventional anticancer drugs do not work, and efficiently introduces the antibody into cells. We are also developing DDS (drug delivery system) technology * 5 for this purpose. The technological development of OMR is expected to bring about innovations in the pharmaceutical field in the future, such as enabling effective treatment of diseases such as cancer that were previously difficult to treat.
This time, the Real Tech Fund will underwrite the shares issued by OMR through a third-party allotment, and will support OMR's in-house research and development, joint research and development with pharmaceutical companies, and out-licensing activities of the research and development pipeline.
The details are as follows.
* 1 Antibody: A core substance of the immune system that specifically recognizes and attacks foreign substances such as viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells that have invaded the body.
* 2 Antigen: A substance targeted by an antibody. It exists on the surface of a foreign substance and serves as a marker for the antibody to recognize the foreign substance.
* 3 Membrane protein: A substance that exists on the cell membrane and plays an important role in substance transport inside and outside the cell and immune response.
* 4 LIMAXY S method: By transplanting antigen-expressing metastatic cancer cells into mice and metastasizing the cancer cells into the mouse for a long period of time to induce immunity.
A method for producing antibodies in the body with high efficiency.
* 5 Drug delivery system technology: Technology for effectively transporting the active ingredient of a drug to the affected area.
Investing in Custom-made Medical Research Co., Ltd.
■ About custom-made medical research and support contents
Date of establishment: April 23, 2012
Location: 5-4-19 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture Todai Kashiwa Venture Plaza
Representative: Yasufumi Murakami, Representative Director
Fund: 298 million yen (excluding capital reserve)
Business: Research and development of antibody drugs using the innovative antibody production technology LIMAX YS method
HP: http://www.omr.co.jp
Support content: Support for in-house R & D, joint R & D with pharmaceutical companies, R & D pipeline out-licensing activities, etc.
Investment period: November 2016
■ About Realtech Fund (HP: http://www.realtech.fund)
Our 100% subsidiary of Euglena Investment, SMBC Nikko Securities, Ribanesu "Limited Liability Company was founded three companies Euglena in venture capital funds that SMBC Nikko Ribanesu capital" to management and operation, the investment development of the real tech venture as the main purpose is. With a total of 23 participating companies and a fund size of 7.5 billion yen (as of February 2017), it is Japan's largest fund specializing in real tech. We are investing in and nurturing real tech ventures with the following operating companies that are investors.
Investors: Euglena Investment Co., Ltd., SMBC Nikko Securities Co., Ltd., Revanes Co., Ltd., Nippon Tobacco Industry Co., Ltd., Mitsui Real Estate Co., Ltd., Yoshinoya Holdings Co., Ltd., Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kanetsu Co., Ltd., Dentsu Co., Ltd., Tokyo Century Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Aizawa Securities Co., Ltd., Shimizu Construction Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, ANA Holdings Co., Ltd., THK Co., Ltd., Toyo Aluminum Co., Ltd., Daiichi Life Insurance Co., Ltd., CQ Ventures Co., Ltd. , East Japan Passenger Railway Co., Ltd., Japan Unisys Co., Ltd., JCU Co., Ltd., Toyo Spinning Co., Ltd. (23 companies in total, as of February 2017)
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Euglena Co., Ltd. Public Relations and IR Division