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Advancing Beyond Cell Therapy: Tackling Unresolved Health Challenges with Advanced Exosome Technology

Why are exosomes attracting attention as a new therapeutic approach?

Exosomes are an exceptional drug delivery system inherent in living organisms. Recent research has revealed that exosomes containing cell-derived active ingredients, such as nucleic acids and proteins, can achieve therapeutic benefits equivalent to or even greater than those of cell therapy.

Due to their superiority in terms of stability and safety compared to cell therapy, the race to commercialize exosome-based medicines has already begun worldwide. However, significant technical challenges existed in the process and quality control needed to manufacture exosomes with the desired performance reliably.

After years of dedicated effort, we have developed proprietary core technologies for each process of culture, purification, analysis, and pharmacological evaluation. These proprietary technologies form the technological foundation that enables the discovery, mass production, and quality control of exosome therapeutics.

With this robust foundation, we collaborate with university researchers and pharmaceutical companies to develop innovative exosome therapeutics. Utilizing exosomes' natural drug delivery capabilities, we are committed to generating solutions for unresolved health challenges, thereby continuously enhancing our corporate value.

April 2024
Koji Kuchishi
Founder & CEO, EXORPHIA Inc.

Business Model

Our company is engaged in two business areas: the "Drug Discovery Business," which aims to commercialize exosomes as pharmaceuticals, and the "Non-Drug Discovery Business," which sells exosomes as raw materials for non-medical products.

The "Drug Discovery Business" consists of two business models: the "Asset Model," where we conduct clinical trials of our assets, and the "Platform Model," where we license our exosome technology.

Among these, the "Asset Model" is the driver of our medium- to long-term growth. Although research and development investments precede revenue, we aim to increase the value of our assets by obtaining evidence of safety and efficacy in clinical trials targeting diseases with high unmet medical needs. By licensing global rights to pharmaceutical companies, we expect to generate significant revenue.

On the other hand, while the future revenue scale of the "Platform Model" and "Non-Drug Discovery Business" is limited compared to the "Asset Model," they enable us to acquire stable cash flow early with less research and development investment, which is expected to contribute to the improvement of our financial health.

By adjusting the weight of these multiple business models according to our growth stage, we aim to achieve continuous growth over the medium to long term while controlling risks.

Company Profile

Company Name

EXORPHIA, INC.

Business Description

R&D, manufacturing, and sales of exosome-based therapeutics derived from human cells.

Location

Head Office and Lab: Inspired.Lab, 6th Floor, Otemachi Building, 1-6-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan

Establishment Date

May 7, 2019

Capital

100 million yen (Accumulated Funds Raised 1,489 million yen)

CEO

Koji Kuchiishi

Academic Research Partners

　　

Collaborative Research Representatives

• Professor Ken J. Ishii, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
• Professor KAGE Hidenori, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Respiratory Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital
• Associate Professor NAGAMURA-INOUE Tokiko, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Cell Processing and Transfusion, IMSUT Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
• Associate Professor KOJIMA Ryosuke, Ph.D., Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Imaging, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo
• Assistant Professor MORI Yutaro, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo

History

May 2019

Company established

July 2019

Capital increase through third-party allotment

August 2019

Laboratory opened

December 2019

Capital increase through third-party allotment

January 2020

In-house research ethics review committee established

May 2020

Collaboration with The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo and Juntendo University initiated

April 2021

Head office and laboratory relocated to Inspired.Lab, 6th Floor, Otemachi Building, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Capital increase through third-party allotment

June 2021

Board of Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board established

April 2022

Capital increase through third-party allotment

July 2023

Raised 325 million yen from KII, Coral Capital, and one other venture capital firm through the issuance of stock acquisition rights

December 2023

Entered into a joint development agreement with Kyoritsu Seiyaku and Kyoritsu Holdings for EV formulations to treat pet diseases

February 2024

Received positive feedback from the U.S. FDA regarding the Pre-IND application for EXP01

March 2024

Raised 550 million yen from two business companies through the issuance of stock acquisition rights

July 2024

Initiated joint research with Tokyo Medical and Dental University, which has been renamed as Institute of Science Tokyo, on the development of EV therapies for kidney diseases