News

JIC Venture Growth Investments (VGI) has made an additional investment in Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. (Rege Nephro) through its JIC Venture Growth Fund 2.

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Rege Nephro is a startup company established in September 2019 based on the research of Professor Kenji Osafune at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University. Professor Osafune was the first in the world to discover nephron progenitor cells—renal progenitor cells present during embryonic development—and has established a technology for their highly efficient production from iPS cells. In addition, he has been engaged in developing disease models for inherited kidney diseases from an early stage and has successfully identified therapeutic candidates using these models.

Rege Nephro is currently developing a novel oral therapeutic for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), for which a Phase 2 study has been completed in Japan. The company is also advancing the development of nephron progenitor cell-based therapies for chronic kidney disease, with the aim of entering clinical studies in the coming years.

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The objectives of this investment are twofold: (1) to accelerate research and development toward delivering new treatment options to patients with renal diseases, and (2) to promote the social implementation and global expansion of technologies originating from Japanese universities.

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Through this additional investment, VGI will support Rege Nephro in advancing the global development of its pharmaceutical products and in promoting the practical application of Japanese-origin technologies, thereby contributing to the advancement of society and the broader economy.

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^{The information contained in this notice is current at the time of publication and subject to change without notice.}