StemCell Therapy

JAPAN

Japans official medical research funding agency Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), reports that public financial support for university-based research in collaboration with industry into COVID-19 vaccines and treatments has ballooned since March.

Almost JPY113 billion (US$1.07 billion) in funds was allocated this fiscal year against a backdrop of increasing global competition for successful breakthroughs as second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic affect the economy, society and education, as well as being a serious health problem. Japan has enacted large supplementary budgets of trillions of yen to help the economy cope since the outbreak hit the country in March.

The global pandemic, which is very contagious and life-threatening, represents an emergency situation. Investment towards a cure is critical for public safety, said Atsuko Oshima, who is in charge of public relations at AMED.

Oshima explained that the government views COVID-19 and new infections as a new global challenge and has turned its attention towards strengthening research funds for pandemics.

For example, it is funding a university-led task force for joint COVID-19 research projects established by prominent Japanese universities, including the University of Tokyo, Keio University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kitasato University and Osaka University, with experts from diverse fields, including infectious diseases, virology, molecular genetics, genomic medicine and computational science.

In an initial project, the task force will use state-of-the-art genomic analysis technology to reveal the genetic basis for the mechanism that causes exacerbation of COVID-19 and will work to develop an effective mucosal vaccine to protect against the virus.

Academics view the COVID-19 crisis as a landmark event for multidisciplinary university research. With the novel coronavirus affecting millions of people around the world, scientists and medical communities face intense pressure to develop potential solutions, noted Takafumi Ueno, biomolecular research specialist at the leading Tokyo Institute of Technology.

The university, famous for technology development, is participating in collaborative research with the private sector and other universities, including participating in the task force.

Ueno referred to pressure to respond to the large amount of public funds poured into coronavirus-related research. With taxpayer funds available, researchers are intensely mindful that results must provide for the betterment of society, he said.

Joint research between academia and the private sector is not a new development. But COVID-19 has provided a boost against a backdrop of rising funding and pressure for swift results.

Shinzo Abe, who stepped down as prime minister on 28 August, pledged to make a vaccine available for every Japanese person.

Push for locally developed vaccine

The government is pushing for a home-grown vaccine. A special measure aimed at securing vaccines as quickly as possible was enacted in late August to exempt Japanese and foreign pharmaceutical companies and other concerned parties from liability against compensating people whose health is damaged due to vaccination against COVID-19. Instead, the government will be responsible for any redress.

Japans Kyodo News service reported in late August that the government plans to submit related bills for this measure in the Diet, the Japanese parliament, in October.

Among the slew of ongoing domestic projects to prevent COVID-19 infections, Osaka City University Hospital reported in June that it conducted the first clinical trials on humans of a DNA vaccine.

According a June news release from AnGes, this type of vaccine will inject genetically engineered circular DNA (plasmid) that produces spike proteins, which are characteristic of coronavirus. When the pathogen proteins are made, the bodys immune system is stimulated to make antibodies against the virus.

DNA vaccines are produced using an inactivated virus which only uses the genetic information of the virus rather than the virus itself, and can be manufactured faster than protein-based vaccines, according to the company statement.

However, globally to date no DNA vaccine has yet been approved for use in humans, requiring more time to determine safety and efficacy before it can be rolled out for general use.

The project is owned by AnGes Inc, a medical start-up venture by Osaka University in partnership with Japanese biotech company Takara Bio Inc. Takara Bio has production facilities and manufacturing experience with plasmid DNA products and will be responsible for vaccine production.

Special cooperation model

Yasufumi Kaneda, vice-president of Osaka University and an expert on DNA therapy, leads the industry-academia Co-creation group at the university that oversees the collaborative project. He explained to University World News that AnGess venture a separate entity affiliated with the university represents a rare set up in collaborative research.

The venture acts as a bridge between academic research and the final deployment of the product with a drug maker. By collecting and analysing information, its role is to ensure the safety of the vaccine before large-scale manufacturing for public use. The venture eases the risk faced when defining the final product, he said.

Kaneda explained that the basic research sector collaboration with cross-industry vaccine and treatment is spearheaded by universities with the private sector leading mass manufacturing and dissemination.

The success of the final product demands a high element of risk taking. While COVID-19 research is the exception, it is common practice in Japan for big companies to shun investment in projects that do not indicate clear results, he said, adding that the university-industry venture system can narrow the gap.

The role of providing concrete and appropriate data and scientific facts of the project to companies strengthens understanding and investment for the final product, he said.

The AnGes vaccine trial is now concentrating on the antibody reaction observed in patients. A separate clinical trial is planned at the Osaka hospital as another critical step to obtain government approval in 2021.

Read more from the original source:
Vaccine research deepens university-industry collaboration - University World News

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