Print（PDF/343KB） Jul. 15, 2026 Products

Development of the Regenerative Medicine Product “AMCHEPRY” Receives the 10th Japan Bioindustry Award

Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; President and CEO: Toru Kimura; “Sumitomo Pharma”) and RACTHERA Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Atsushi Ikeda; “RACTHERA”) announced today that the development of AMCHEPRY® (the “Product”), the allogeneic iPS cell-derived dopaminergic neural progenitor cell product resulting from joint research with Kyoto University, has received the 10th Japan Bioindustry Award from the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA).

The Japan Bioindustry Award recognizes achievements that are expected to have a significant impact on the development of the fields of bioscience, biotechnology, and bioindustry. This year marks the 10th presentation of the award.

The development of the Product, the world's first iPS cell-derived regenerative medicine product, was recognized for demonstrating a compelling example of industry-academia collaboration that seamlessly connects basic research with practical application, while pioneering a pathway toward establishing regenerative medicine as a sustainable bioindustry.

The Product received conditional and time-limited approval for manufacturing and marketing in Japan on March 6, 2026. A post-marketing clinical study is currently ongoing to evaluate its efficacy and obtain additional safety data in support of full approval.

Sumitomo Pharma and RACTHERA remain committed to steadily advancing efforts to make this treatment available at the earliest opportunity to patients with Parkinson's disease who may benefit from it.

Award Theme

Development of the Regenerative Medicine Product “AMCHEPRY®”

Award Recipients

Collaborative Research Group for the Research and Development of Allogeneic iPS Cell-Derived Dopaminergic Neural Progenitor Cells
(Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., RACTHERA Co., Ltd., and Kyoto University)

For further details, please visit the website of the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA).
https://www.jba.or.jp/entry/2026/07/002905/index.html (in Japanese only)

Reference

About AMCHEPRY®

The Product is a regenerative medical product developed as a novel treatment for Parkinson’s disease and contains non-frozen dopaminergic neural progenitor cells manufactured through differentiation of allogeneic iPS cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which is produced in dopaminergic neurons. Dopaminergic neural progenitor cells are cells that have not yet differentiated into dopaminergic neurons. The Product was designated as an orphan regenerative medical product in December 2025 and received conditional and time-limited approval for manufacturing and marketing in Japan in March 2026 for the indication of the improvement of motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease who have an inadequate response to existing pharmacological therapies, including levodopa-containing products.

RACTHERA

RACTHERA is a joint venture between Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo‑ku, Tokyo, Japan; “Sumitomo Chemical”) and Sumitomo Pharma. The company began operations on February 1, 2025, after inheriting intellectual property and other assets related to the regenerative and cellular medicine business from Sumitomo Pharma. RACTHERA serves as the core organization for research and development in the Sumitomo Chemical Group’s regenerative and cellular medicine business and is engaged in the development of innovative therapies utilizing iPS cells and other modalities.

The technology for manufacturing iPS cell-derived dopaminergic neural progenitor cells:

The Product contains the dopaminergic neural progenitor cells differentiated from iPS cells stock provided by CiRA Foundation based on differentiation and manufacturing technology owned by Kyoto University and other parties. In addition, the Product, in one of its production steps for dopaminergic neural progenitor cells, employs a proprietary cell purification technology discovered by KAN Research Institute, Inc. (currently Kobe Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd.) and owned by Eisai Co., Ltd.