
GORYO Chemical
Provides new fluorescent probes for cellular analysis, assay, and imaging.
Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
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- | investor investor investor | €0.0 | round |
investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | €0.0 | round | |
investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | €0.0 | round | |
investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
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$3.8m | Late VC | ||
Total Funding | 000k |
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GORYO Chemical, Inc., established in Sapporo, Japan, on July 16, 2010, operates as a specialized developer and manufacturer of fluorescent probes. The company was founded by Ken-ichi Maruyama, who currently serves as CEO, to translate academic research into commercially available tools for life science and medical applications. The firm maintains strong collaborative ties with academic institutions like Tokyo University and Hokkaido University, which underpins its research and development efforts.
The company's core business involves the creation of fluorescent probes for cellular analysis, biological assays, and imaging. These products are distributed to a diverse client base that includes academic researchers, biotechnology firms, and large pharmaceutical companies. GORYO Chemical's business model encompasses direct sales of its research reagents and the custom synthesis of fluorescent probes. The company has established a global distribution network through a partnership with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and its affiliate MilliporeSigma in North America, making its products accessible worldwide.
A significant focus of the company is the development of what it terms "navigation drugs." These are activatable fluorescent probes designed for image-guided cancer surgery. By causing cancerous tissues to fluoresce, these agents aim to assist surgeons in the complete removal of malignant cells, a major challenge in oncology. The company is advancing these diagnostic agents through preclinical and clinical trials in Japan. For instance, its breast cancer navigation drug, GCP-006, has had a New Drug Approval (NDA) application filed in Japan. This strategic direction extends to forming partnerships, such as a collaboration agreement with Solasia Pharma Co., Ltd. to jointly commercialize its pharmaceutical business.
The product portfolio is extensive, featuring various series of probes each tailored for specific biological targets and applications. The AcidiFluor™ series detects acidic environments like lysosomes, while the MetalloFluor™ series is designed for detecting metal ions. Other product lines include probes for calcium ions (CalFluor™), glycosidase activity (GlycoFluor™), and human iPS/ES cells (StemFluor™). A notable product is the POLARIC™ probe, a solvatochromic probe that changes its fluorescent color based on the polarity of its micro-environment, allowing it to simultaneously stain different cellular organelles in distinct colors. The company has also developed probes for super-resolution microscopy, such as the HMSIR series, which enables advanced cellular imaging under physiological conditions.
Keywords: fluorescent probes, chemical biology, cancer diagnostics, image-guided surgery, cellular imaging, navigation drugs, activatable probes, life science reagents, in-vitro diagnostics, bio-venture, custom synthesis, Solasia Pharma, Merck KGaA, AcidiFluor, MetalloFluor, POLARIC, Ken-ichi Maruyama, Sapporo, Japan, preclinical trials, clinical trials, oncology, cell analysis, molecular probes, biotechnology research