Business Founder

Yoshiji Kimura, Chairman

[Profile]
He was born in 1952. After he was graduated from Kyoto Prefectural Sagano High School, he served Hoya Corporation many years. During that time, he improved the performances of a couple of branch offices and affiliates. In 1995, he founded MEDINET Co., Ltd.

Integrating the ethos of “Patient First” and strengths we acquired, we continuously create richer sources of value to evolve into a distinguished company in the future.

Following the philosophy of “Beyond the bound of common sense, we conscientiously turn creative vision into reality with ethos of Patient First”, we are fulfilling our mission; “We create innovative technologies for building future medical care, and continue to bring such technologies into the public in a prompt and efficient manner”.

“The Immuno-Cell Therapy Total Support Service” that currently constitutes our core business was launched under such philosophy as a first step in our undertaking. Immuno-cell therapy is a next generation medical treatment requiring the latest knowledge in immunology, molecular biology, and cellular engineering, and medical institutions will be required to build the system of the highest level of quality control with respect to both the tangible and intangible aspects for implementing cell therapy in a clinical practice. However, it is most likely that there is a difficulty for medical institutions to manage all of these requirements with the financial and technical aspects, independently. Thus, until recent years, immuno-cell therapy had been performed for a limited segment of patients at an extremely limited number of the facilities such as university hospitals and other research facilities.

Our business model, “Immuno-Cell Therapy Total Support Service”, is to comprehensively provide medical institutions with technology, know-how, equipment and facilities, materials, qualified cell engineers, and information technology, etc. Consequently, it fills in gap of indispensable requirements for conducting immuno-cell therapy and leads to enrich cancer patients’ accessibility toward the immuno-cell therapy.

In order to achieve commercialization of new technologies, MEDINET strives to develop new technology and to nurture seeds of new business with an emphasis on integration of new technology with significant cell processing company as “Open Innovation” from a global perspective. Integrating with leading research institutions, medical institutions, and private companies, MEDINET will create innovative technology, responding to demand for immuno-cell therapy as well as novel treatment technologies for other refractory diseases besides cancer.

As a leading company engaged in the regenerative medicine, MEDINET has continuously strived to make a social contribution through innovative technology for the people suffering from cancers and other refractory diseases throughout the world.

Scientific Founder

Kohji Egawa, M.D., Ph.D.

[Profile]
1937～2009
Completed his Ph.D. in Course of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, after earning his M.D. at School of Medicine, University of Tokyo. Has pursued “basic research in cancer immunology” as long-term research at the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, where he was appointed to professor in 1984. After retirement from the University, pursued the practice of cancer immunology treatments and opened new avenues for cancer treatment. In 1999 inaugurated the Seta Clinic. Chief Advisor of the Seta Clinic Group. Chairman of the Japan Research Association for Immunotherapeutics.

For the contribution to “Patient First”, we deliver innovation and effective technologies in medical care.

I have spent many years as a researcher at the university. Research at universities should always be undertaken for the sole purpose of seeking truth with no regard for profits. For this very reason, research, in some instances, is undertaken simply for the sake of research. However, we should not shy away from utilizing the results and experience acquired through such research for the good of the people. This was exactly the type of thinking which prompted me to retire from academia and pursue a study, which aimed directly to be of use to my fellow men. Furthermore joining MEDINET enabled my aspirations to take shape.

At university hospitals, on the other hand, we often find state-of-the-art medical care being performed merely as part of research. Among the treatments undertaken at these university hospitals, there are some treatments, despite being recognized for their values and the growing demand by society for such treatment, used in an extremely limited number of cases due to factors including various restrictions.

The business of bringing such treatments promptly and in a form accessible to the general public, while at the same time working on the treatment’s modification and improvement is certainly a meaningful undertaking. MEDINET’s business model enables the actual realization of our mission. Our Immuno-Cell Therapy Total Support Service, which we have been offering to the medical institutions, is one such example and has produced results that are second to none.

I believe that in the future such a business model will grant innumerable benefits to all patients in the world.