【News】CYBERDYNE formed a capital and business alliance with GAIA BioMedicine, a company that develops cancer immunotherapy

CYBERDYNYE Inc. (Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; President & CEO: Yoshiyuki Sankai; from now on referred to as “the Company”) and GAIA BioMedicine, Inc. (Shinjuku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kazuyuki Kuramori; from now on referred to as “GAIA”), a company that develops new cancer drugs from human immune cells, announced to form a capital and business alliance (CYBERDYNE’s investment in GAIA). Furthermore, the Cybernics Excellence Japan No. 1 Investment Business Limited Partnership (CEJ Fund), operated by CEJ Capital Inc, will also invest in GAIA.

GAIA started as a spinoff venture of Kyushu University. GAIA utilizes the research results of Professor Yoshikazu Yonemitsu at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, to develop new cellular medicines. The NK-like cells developed by GAIA called GAIA-102 are expected to be highly effective in treating non-small cell lung cancer, accounting for approximately 80% of lung cancer. It is also likely to be a promising immune cell therapy for various solid tumors.

Cancer, especially lung cancer, is the leading cause of death in Japan, and the development of new treatments for cancer is an important project. The Company will provide technical, financial, and business support to GAIA, which challenges developing innovative cancer immunotherapy. The Company is currently constructing the Cybernics Innovation Base at the King Skyfront in the international strategic zone of Kawasaki City, right next to Haneda Tokyo International Airport. This facility will promote clinical research of HAL and research on regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and other biotechnology-related fields. In addition, the Company will further accelerate the creation of the Cybernics Industry by combining its Cybernics Technology (a composite technology that integrates human, robot, and information systems) with the field of bioscience.

(Comment by CEO Sankai)
In recent years, cellular drugs such as CAR-T cells have shown remarkable efficacy against some hematological cancers, but their penetration and elimination abilities were insufficient against solid tumors. GAIA developed and commercialized an NK-like cell called GAIA-102 as effective cell immunotherapy for various solid tumors. They are attracting much attention as a new option for treating solid tumors, which are difficult to treat with existing therapies. We believe that the challenges of GAIA will be of great value to many people suffering from solid tumors, and we will fully support their challenge.

＜reference＞
■ Website of GAIA BioMedicine, Inc.: https://gaia-biomed.com
■ Press release of GAIA BioMedicine, Inc. published on September 21, 2021 : https://gaia-biomed.com/news/227/