Bengaluru: MEDINET Co,Ltd, a Tokyo-listed
regenerative medicine
and CDMO company, has signed an option license agreement with
Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd.
, a Manipal Group company, for the development and commercialisation of the
Stempeucel
® product in Japan for the treatment of
Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia
(CLTI).
The agreement grants MEDINET the right to enter into an exclusive license for
Stempeucel
in the Japanese market. Under the terms, Stempeutics will receive an upfront payment and, upon exercising the option, will be eligible for additional milestone payments, royalties, and licensing fees. The Stempeucel® product will be manufactured at Stempeutics’ cGMP facility in Bengaluru and exported to Japan for clinical trials and eventual commercialization.
Stempeucel is the first India-developed
cell therapy
product to be licensed by a Japanese firm and is patented in Japan. The product has received marketing approval from the Indian drug regulator (CDSCO) for treating
Critical Limb Ischemia
(CLI) caused by Buerger’s Disease and Atherosclerotic Peripheral Arterial Disease.
CLTI is a severe form of peripheral arterial disease characterized by reduced blood flow and a high risk of limb amputation. Stempeucel is designed to enhance the body’s natural ability to restore blood circulation through its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and pro-angiogenic properties.
Informing that signing a licensing agreement with a Japanese Regenerative Medicine Company is an important and historic milestone for Stempeutics, BN Manohar, CEO, Stempeutics said, "It is a strong recognition for Stempeutics for its sustained excellence of scientific and clinical work and underscores our global leadership in allogeneic, pooled MSC technology. We believe that the Stempeucel product is a game-changer, offering an advanced therapeutic treatment for millions of patients suffering from this dreadful disease”.
Commenting on this collaboration, Kanenao Kubushiro-san, President and Representative Director of the Board, MEDINET said, “Our focus on innovation is guided by our strong sense of responsibility to address unmet patient needs in Japan and alleviate suffering. We are happy to partner with Stempeutics since its product Stempeucel® has already been approved in India and treated more than 600 CLTI patients. Also, the product has been patented in Japan. Data from Indian clinical trials will be useful for getting pivotal study approval in Japan. CLTI is a serious and painful condition that impacts patients in Japan, and we are happy that we will be able to introduce this therapy in the country in the near future."
MEDINET and Stempeutics have already held pre-consultation meetings with Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) to discuss regulatory pathways.