Cell-Medicine, Inc. (Japan)

Cell-Medicine, Inc. (セルメディシン株式会社) is a Japanese research-and-development-oriented bioventure based in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, dedicated to cancer immunotherapy. The company describes itself as a pioneer of cancer immunotherapy and is known for developing an autologous cancer vaccine (自家がんワクチン) — a fully personalized vaccine manufactured from a patient's own surgically removed tumor tissue. According to the company, it is the only organization in the world with the technology to produce such a vaccine from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue left over from pathological diagnosis, a method covered by international patents. The company traces its origins to RIKEN (理化学研究所) and the University of Tsukuba, and was founded in July 2001 as a RIKEN venture. Its president has a long research career spanning the University of Tokyo, the University of Pennsylvania, the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, and RIKEN's Gene Bank (Cell Development Bank), where he served as head of the cell bank. The autologous cancer vaccine is positioned as an ultimate personalized medicine: because each patient's cancer has unique antigens (neoantigens), using the patient's own whole tumor tissue allows the immune system to be trained against the full set of that individual's cancer markers. The vaccine is administered on an outpatient basis, typically in courses of about six weeks, without the need for hospitalization. The company states that the therapy is available at more than 80 hospitals across Japan, with cumulative treated cases exceeding 4,000, and that clinical trials are being conducted jointly with multiple university hospitals. The vaccine is an unapproved drug in Japan and is therefore offered only as free (self-paid) medical care, not covered by public health insurance. Cell-Medicine presents clinical trial results in breast cancer, liver cancer, and brain tumors, including early Phase I/II and late Phase II studies, and combinations with radiotherapy and anticancer drugs. The company also publishes news and case reports on its website, including topics such as long-term survival after ovarian cancer and breast cancer recurrence.

Cell-Medicine, Inc. was founded in July 2001 as a venture company originating from RIKEN (理化学研究所) and also from the University of Tsukuba. Its president, a pharmaceutical scientist with a doctorate from the University of Tokyo, had previously worked at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the Kitasato Institute, the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, and RIKEN's Gene Bank (Cell Development Bank), where he served as head of the cell bank from 1985 to 2003. He also held visiting professorships at several universities in Japan and China. The scientific foundation of the company's autologous cancer vaccine was laid through a series of studies. In 1995, the company's researchers succeeded in inducing and culturing cancer-specific lymphocytes (CTL) from formalin-fixed cancer tissue, published in Nature Medicine. In 1998, they confirmed the abundance of antigens in formalin-fixed cancer tissue, published in Cancer Immunol. Immunother. In 2002, they confirmed the therapeutic effect of the cancer vaccine in a mouse model and developed the autologous cancer vaccine from formalin-fixed cancer tissue, published in J. Cancer Res. In 2004, they demonstrated recurrence suppression and life-prolonging effects in clinical trials after liver cancer surgery, published in Clin. Cancer Res., covering clinical research on liver cancer and brain tumors. Since its founding, the company has focused on the clinical development of the autologous cancer vaccine, research and development of immune adjuvants, and research on cancer immunocyte therapy using cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. The company reports that its vaccine therapy is available at more than 80 hospitals in Japan, with cumulative treated cases exceeding 4,000, and that it is conducting clinical trials jointly with multiple university hospitals. The vaccine remains an unapproved drug and is offered only as free (self-paid) medical care.

• 2004

  Demonstrated recurrence suppression and life-prolonging effects in clinical trials after liver cancer surgery; published in Clin. Cancer Res.

• 2002

  Confirmed therapeutic effect of cancer vaccine in mouse model and developed autologous cancer vaccine from formalin-fixed cancer tissue; published in J. Cancer Res.

• 2001

  Founded in July as a RIKEN venture company; president appointed.

• 1998

  Confirmed the abundance of antigens in formalin-fixed cancer tissue; published in Cancer Immunol. Immunother.

• 1995

  Succeeded in inducing and culturing cancer-specific lymphocytes (CTL) from formalin-fixed cancer tissue; published in Nature Medicine.

Pioneer of cancer immunotherapy; developer of the world's only autologous cancer vaccine made from formalin-fixed tumor tissue.

• Autologous cancer vaccine (自家がんワクチン)

  A personalized cancer vaccine manufactured from the patient's own formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. It is administered to activate the patient's immune cells to attack cancer cells. Offered as free (self-paid) medical care in Japan.

1. 1がん免疫療法のパイオニア セルメディシン株式会社cell-medicine.com
2. 2自家がんワクチンの開発史 セルメディシン株式会社cell-medicine.com
3. 3社長略歴 会社情報 セルメディシン株式会社cell-medicine.com
4. 4自家がんワクチンの特徴 セルメディシン株式会社cell-medicine.com
5. 5Cell-Medicine, Inc. (Japan) - Wikidatawikidata.org