Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis

Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis (TKG Therapeutics, Inc.), a spin-off from the University of Tokyo, was established in April 2022 by Akimitsu Okamoto and Masaaki Matsui. The company is dedicated to advancing nucleic acid-based therapies, operating with a dual focus on drug discovery and the development of novel synthesis technologies. Its core mission is to introduce new treatment modalities for diseases that currently lack effective therapies, with an initial emphasis on oncology.

The company's primary drug discovery effort centers on TKG-001, a third-generation STING agonist designed as a cancer immunotherapy agent. This approach utilizes a unique hairpin-shaped nucleic acid structure to selectively trigger the natural immune response within cancer cells, leading to cell death. This method employs miRNA as a biomarker to target specific cells, offering a highly adaptable platform with potential applications beyond cancer.

Concurrently, Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis is developing a more efficient and environmentally friendly method for nucleic acid synthesis called the "Jabozuke method". This immersion-style solid-phase synthesis process aims to enable large-scale production of nucleic acid materials at a lower cost and with less environmental impact compared to conventional techniques. The company is currently working on a prototype of an automated synthesis machine to validate this method, targeting a significant reduction in the amount of reagents needed. This technology is critical for making long-chain nucleic acid production, which is currently very expensive, more economically viable.

In January 2024, the company successfully completed a seed funding round, securing a total of JPY 150 million. This financing was supported by Real Tech Holdings and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, and supplemented by a grant from NEDO's Deep Tech Start-up Support Program. The capital is allocated to advancing the non-clinical trials for the TKG-001 pipeline and furthering the research and development of its proprietary nucleic acid synthesis machine.

Keywords: nucleic acid therapeutics, cancer immunotherapy, STING agonist, drug discovery, nucleic acid synthesis, University of Tokyo spin-off, miRNA biomarker, solid-phase synthesis, Jabozuke method, TKG-001, deep tech, biopharmaceutical, oncology, gene therapy, immunotherapy, oligonucleotide synthesis, venture capital, seed funding, Real Tech Holdings, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical