BRIEF—Fujifilm invests 170 million yen in bioventure

Japanese conglomerate Fujifilm Corp has made a 170 million yen ($1.5 million) investment, through a third-party share allocation, in TOKIWA-Bio, a bioventure exploring the practical application of therapeutic drugs based on new transgenic technologies.

Through this investment, Fujifilm plans to acquire the license of TOKIWA-Bio's transgenic technology, Stealth RNA Vector, for its research activities and apply it to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell production.

TOKIWA-Bio is currently applying its Stealth RNA Vector technology to the development of gene therapy drugs for rare diseases. It is also considering applying the technology to produce genetically-engineered cells and iPS cells for biopharmaceuticalsand regenerative medicine products.

Fujifilm’s iPS cell-related business, led by its US subsidiary Cellular Dynamics International, is a leading company in the development and manufacturing of iPS cells. It supplies iPS cell-derived differentiated cells and other materials to a large number of major pharma companies. In cell therapy, it develops its own regenerative medicine products and also engages in contract development and manufacturing of iPS cells and other materials to be used for research purposes.