DRUG DELIVERY
On December 15, 2025, we announced that our proprietary drug delivery system, “Perfusio,” had completed its patent examination and had been granted a patent. Our company develops both small molecule drugs and nucleic acid drugs targeting mRNA, and nucleic acid drugs in particular have faced major challenges: high manufacturing costs, systemic side effects, and a limited range of treatable diseases. Perfusio is a technology designed to address these challenges and open up new possibilities for treatment.
Conventional nucleic acid drugs mainly rely on systemic administration using chemical modifications or encapsulation in polymeric carriers such as micelles, with the expectation that the drugs will reach the kidneys or liver. However, manufacturing costs are high, and organs that can be targeted are limited. Local administration by direct injection into organs can be applied to various organs, but the drugs still enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body, leaving a residual risk of systemic side effects.
Perfusio is designed to address these issues with the concept of temporarily isolating specific target organs from the bloodstream and perfusing the drugs within the organs. Specifically, our special catheters with balloons are inserted into the artery and vein connected to the target organ, and the balloons are inflated to temporarily occlude the vessels. In this state, a drug-containing solution is infused from the arterial side to deliver the drugs directly and intensively to the organ, and the spent solution is recovered as much as possible from the venous side. This approach is expected to maintain a high drug concentration in the target organ while reducing the amount of drug that circulates systemically. It can be applied not only to nucleic acid drugs but also to small molecule drugs and antibody drugs, without special chemical modification.
One area of anticipated application is lung cancer. For older patients for whom thoracotomy imposes a significant burden, delivering high concentrations of drugs to only a part of the lung while limiting systemic recirculation could provide a new therapeutic option without severe systemic side effects like hair loss and diarrhea.
Concept image of organ perfusion using special catheters with balloons
Perfusio is designed so that it can be implemented by combining commercially available catheters, enabling smooth early clinical adoption. If similar techniques are performed in clinical practice by combining existing catheters, there is a theoretical possibility that this could infringe on our patents, but we prioritize patient benefits above all and have no intention of obstructing uses deemed helpful in the clinical setting.
Example of special catheters with balloons
Going forward, we will aim to realize new therapies and pharmaceuticals utilizing Perfusio through collaborative development and licensing with pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions, while prioritizing safety, quality, and compliance with regulatory requirements. The dedicated Corporate Venture Office, launched on January 1, 2026, will lead this initiative. We will provide updates such as commercialization progress and clinical trial plans via our corporate website and other channels as appropriate.
