Jiksak Bioengineering

Jiksak Bioengineering, founded in February 2017, is a biotechnology firm dedicated to developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, with a primary focus on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The company was established by Jiro Kawada, who serves as co-CEO. Dr. Kawada's doctoral research at the University of Tokyo centered on microfluidics and stem cell culture, and he successfully developed the technology to create three-dimensional nerve tissues, which became the foundation of the company. He was motivated by the severity of ALS and the potential for his research to contribute to a cure. Norihiro Yumoto joined as CTO in 2018 and is now co-CEO. His extensive research on the neuromuscular junction, including a paper published in Nature, and his experience at AstraZeneca, complement the company's focus.

The core of Jiksak Bioengineering's operations is its proprietary "Nerve Organoid™" technology. This technology allows for the creation of three-dimensional structured nerve tissues from human iPS cells that closely mimic in-vivo neural tissues. A key feature is the ability to structurally separate the neural cell body from the axon bundle, which is crucial for detailed analysis and was a limitation of previous culture techniques. These organoids are cultured in proprietary microfluidic chip devices, which the company also sells. The business operates across three main segments: an organoid business, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery. For its organoid business, Jiksak sells Nerve Organoids embedded in research devices to pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs), primarily in Japan and the United States, to improve the accuracy and speed of preclinical drug development. In regenerative medicine, the company is developing axon-bundle-based nerve conduits as a potential alternative to autologous nerve grafting for peripheral nerve injuries. The drug discovery arm focuses on identifying new treatments for diseases like ALS, leveraging their organoid platform and a proprietary Drug Linked Carrier technology for targeted drug delivery to the neuromuscular junction.

The company's business model involves direct sales of its organoid products, contract research services, and collaborative research and development partnerships with academic institutions and corporations. Jiksak has established collaborations with entities like Keio University, Niigata University, and Meiji Co., Ltd., to advance its research and develop new products. Since its founding, the company has secured multiple rounds of funding, including a Series B round that brought its total funding to 1 billion JPY (approximately $5.81M USD), to accelerate research, development, and business expansion. Located in Kawasaki, Japan, the company continues to expand its research facilities to support its mission of making neurodegenerative diseases treatable.

Keywords: Jiksak Bioengineering, nerve organoid, ALS treatment, neurodegenerative diseases, iPS cells, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, microfluidics, 3D cell culture, axon, neuromuscular junction, peripheral nerve injury, Jiro Kawada, Norihiro Yumoto, biotechnology, drug delivery, cell-based assays, preclinical testing, human-derived cells, neural tissue engineering, organoid technology