Introduction to METI’s Efforts Related to Regenerative Medicine

This study group was created to consider the creation of systems and supports required for facilitating commercialization and industrialization of the results from regenerative medicine.

This study group has held two meetings for the purpose of further acknowledging the current situations of and problems to be solved found in such commercialization and industrialization of the technology.

For the summary of the meeting minutes and the references, visit the following website. The list of members of the study group and participants from METI is shown in Appendix (in Japanese).

This project will be created for developing evaluation methods related to safety or other elements that will be essential particularly for regenerative medicine products, while preparing environments to examine such medical products, thereby promoting the commercialization of Japan's regenerative medicine products.

For details, see page 15 of the document posted on the following website:
http://www.meti.go.jp/main/yosangaisan/fy2013/pr/pdf/seisan_01.pdf(PDF:2,189KB) (in Japanese)

Stem cells are cells that are able to differentiate into a variety of specific types of cells, and they are expected to be applied to various industries, such as regenerative medicine.

This project is to develop devices for culturing stem cells, evaluating their quality and selecting them, jointly with other organizations, such as Center for iPS Cell Research and Application of Kyoto University, and advancing the creation of global standards for the technology. By doing so, the project will promote application of the cells to related industries as well as strengthening Japan's international competitiveness in the fields of production and evaluation of such cells, and the manufacturing of preserving devices for them.

For details, see page 5 of the document posted on the following website:
http://www.meti.go.jp/main/yosangaisan/fy2013/pr/pdf/sangi_03.pdf(PDF:2,472KB) (in Japanese)

This project was created to develop systems and devices for evaluating the safety of medicine using cardiac muscle cells derived from human iPS cells, for the purpose of carrying out efficient development of new medicine.

For details of the project, see page 4 of the document posted on the following website:
http://www.meti.go.jp/main/yosangaisan/fy2013/pr/pdf/sangi_03.pdf(PDF:2,472KB) (in Japanese)

METI will conduct a survey and analysis on current situations of patent applications filed for technology related to regenerative medicine, such as devices for culturing cells, which will reveal Japan's competitiveness in the technology.

October 26, 2012

Bio-Industry Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau