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Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. Successfully Completes Series B Funding to Accelerate Kidney Disease Therapy Trials

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Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. Successfully Completes Series B Funding to Accelerate Kidney Disease Therapy Trials
Business

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Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. Successfully Completes Series B Funding to Accelerate Kidney Disease Therapy Trials

2024-10-09 07:39 Last Updated At:07:55

KYOTO, Japan, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. (https://www.regenephro.co.jp/) is excited to announce that the company has successfully developed a funding plan of total approximately 17 million dollar (2.5 billion JPY) in new Series B funding and raised 15 million dollar with the first payment. This significant investment brings the company's total funding to 30 million dollar. The funding round attracted a mix of strategic investors, including DCI Partners Co., Ltd. as a lead investor, JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd., Nippon Venture Capital CO., Ltd., TOHOKU University Venture Partners Co., Ltd., Golden Asia Fund Ventures Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Global Brain Corporation, Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd., JAFCO Group Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd., ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION, QB Capital, LLC who recognize the potential of Rege Nephro in delivering new treatments to patients suffering from their diseases. The newly acquired funds will be strategically used to advance the clinical trials of RN-014, our promising treatment in Phase II trials for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), and to prepare for clinical trials in the United States. Additionally, the funding will support the completion of preclinical trials for our second innovative product, RN-032, aimed at treating Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) through cell therapy.

Investor Statements

DCI Partners Co., Ltd.
"We are excited to announce that we are the lead investor in this round of investment from our fund. We are fully committed to supporting the growth of Rege Nephro."

JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd.
"We strongly believe that his advanced drug discovery research based on Professor Osafune's discoveries will provide new therapeutic solutions for intractable renal diseases."

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
"We are delighted that Rege Nephro, which we have supported since before the company was founded, has finally entered the clinical stage. We hope that this funding will accelerate the clinical trials and bring a new therapeutic drug to patients as soon as possible."

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.
"We hope that this financing will further accelerate Rege Nephro research and development in iPS drug discovery and provide new treatment options for patients suffering from diseases with limited treatment options."

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.
"Our continued investment reflects our confidence in Rege Nephro's rapid progress and the potential of Professor Osafune's iPS cell technology to significantly impact medical practice."

Series B investors

DCI Partners Co., Ltd.

JIC Venture Growth Investments Co.,

Nippon Venture Capital CO., Ltd

TOHOKU University Venture Partners Co., Ltd.

Golden Asia Fund Ventures Ltd.

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

Global Brain Corporation

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.

QB Capital, LLC

Industrial Technology Investment

SHIMADZU CORPORATION

SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.

Chushin Venture Capital Co.,Ltd.

SENSHU IKEDA CAPITAL CO.,LTD.

Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.

ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION

i-Lab CVC1 Limited Liability Partnership

Others



About Rege Nephro Co., Ltd.

Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotech company utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based technology from the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University. It is developing therapeutics and cell therapy for kidney, liver, and pancreas diseases.

About RN-014

Tamibarotene, under development for ADPKD, is a retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonist expected to potently inhibit cyst formation and improve renal function. The Phase II clinical trial began in December 2023. This trial includes a pharmacokinetic (PK) phase and a randomization phase. Various safety measures have been established, including phased patient enrollment, periodic independent safety monitoring, strict criteria for dose reduction and discontinuation of the investigational drug, and criteria for discontinuation of the entire trial. There have been no significant issues at this time.

About RN-032

Cell therapy using NPCs for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) are cells that give rise to nephrons. Rege Nephro has been tried implanting iNPCs (NPCs induced from allogeneic human iPSCs) into the damaged kidneys, and the improvements in renal function have been confirmed in the several mouse experiments.



KYOTO, Japan, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. (https://www.regenephro.co.jp/) is excited to announce that the company has successfully developed a funding plan of total approximately 17 million dollar (2.5 billion JPY) in new Series B funding and raised 15 million dollar with the first payment. This significant investment brings the company's total funding to 30 million dollar. The funding round attracted a mix of strategic investors, including DCI Partners Co., Ltd. as a lead investor, JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd., Nippon Venture Capital CO., Ltd., TOHOKU University Venture Partners Co., Ltd., Golden Asia Fund Ventures Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Global Brain Corporation, Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd., JAFCO Group Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd., ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION, QB Capital, LLC who recognize the potential of Rege Nephro in delivering new treatments to patients suffering from their diseases. The newly acquired funds will be strategically used to advance the clinical trials of RN-014, our promising treatment in Phase II trials for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), and to prepare for clinical trials in the United States. Additionally, the funding will support the completion of preclinical trials for our second innovative product, RN-032, aimed at treating Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) through cell therapy.

Investor Statements

DCI Partners Co., Ltd.
"We are excited to announce that we are the lead investor in this round of investment from our fund. We are fully committed to supporting the growth of Rege Nephro."

JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd.
"We strongly believe that his advanced drug discovery research based on Professor Osafune's discoveries will provide new therapeutic solutions for intractable renal diseases."

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
"We are delighted that Rege Nephro, which we have supported since before the company was founded, has finally entered the clinical stage. We hope that this funding will accelerate the clinical trials and bring a new therapeutic drug to patients as soon as possible."

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.
"We hope that this financing will further accelerate Rege Nephro research and development in iPS drug discovery and provide new treatment options for patients suffering from diseases with limited treatment options."

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.
"Our continued investment reflects our confidence in Rege Nephro's rapid progress and the potential of Professor Osafune's iPS cell technology to significantly impact medical practice."

Series B investors

DCI Partners Co., Ltd.

JIC Venture Growth Investments Co.,

Nippon Venture Capital CO., Ltd

TOHOKU University Venture Partners Co., Ltd.

Golden Asia Fund Ventures Ltd.

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

Global Brain Corporation

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.

QB Capital, LLC

Industrial Technology Investment

SHIMADZU CORPORATION

SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.

Chushin Venture Capital Co.,Ltd.

SENSHU IKEDA CAPITAL CO.,LTD.

Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.

ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION

i-Lab CVC1 Limited Liability Partnership

Others

About Rege Nephro Co., Ltd.

Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotech company utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based technology from the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University. It is developing therapeutics and cell therapy for kidney, liver, and pancreas diseases.

About RN-014

Tamibarotene, under development for ADPKD, is a retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonist expected to potently inhibit cyst formation and improve renal function. The Phase II clinical trial began in December 2023. This trial includes a pharmacokinetic (PK) phase and a randomization phase. Various safety measures have been established, including phased patient enrollment, periodic independent safety monitoring, strict criteria for dose reduction and discontinuation of the investigational drug, and criteria for discontinuation of the entire trial. There have been no significant issues at this time.

About RN-032

Cell therapy using NPCs for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) are cells that give rise to nephrons. Rege Nephro has been tried implanting iNPCs (NPCs induced from allogeneic human iPSCs) into the damaged kidneys, and the improvements in renal function have been confirmed in the several mouse experiments.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. Successfully Completes Series B Funding to Accelerate Kidney Disease Therapy Trials

Rege Nephro Co., Ltd. Successfully Completes Series B Funding to Accelerate Kidney Disease Therapy Trials

BANGKOK, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine has developed ER-VIPE, a virtual emergency-room simulation platform designed to strengthen teamwork, communication, and critical-thinking skills among future healthcare professionals. Supported by the university's Second Century Fund (C2F) since 2020, the program enables students from five disciplines—medicine, nursing, pharmacy, radiologic technology, and medical technology—to train together through high-pressure emergency scenarios that mirror real clinical challenges.

ER-VIPE is integrated into the Interprofessional Collaboration for Patient Safety course held at the Chulalongkorn Healthcare Advanced Multi-Profession Simulation Center. Players assume different professional roles through avatars and work as a team to triage and treat diverse cases under strict time limits. Although game-based, the training emphasizes serious skill-building: leadership, clear communication, mutual support, and situational awareness, based on TeamSTEPPS—an internationally recognized framework for improving patient-safety outcomes.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Khuansiri Narajeenron, the creator of ER-VIPE, stresses that strong clinical skills alone are not enough. "If we don't communicate or see the bigger picture, medical errors will occur," she said, noting that collaborative thinking remains a global challenge in healthcare. Research from the program shows improved teamwork, reduced stress, better communication, and increased resilience among students who train with ER-VIPE.

The platform was developed through interdisciplinary collaboration, including Architecture, Engineering, and Communication Arts, to accurately map emergency-room workflows. ER-VIPE currently features three patented scenes: a COVID-era respiratory-failure case, cardiac ischemia requiring resuscitation, and a crowded ER scenario emphasizing patient flow, prioritization, and cross-disciplinary coordination. National-level gamers, pre-clinical students, and even administrators have been able to use the system after a brief orientation.

The training has expanded beyond undergraduates to include first-year medical residents, graduate students, and multidisciplinary hospital staff. The program has demonstrated significant benefits, including shifts from "silo thinking" to system-based thinking and measurable reductions in treatment errors. Interest has also grown among rural-doctor training programs, highlighting ER-VIPE's potential to support nationwide healthcare development.

A fourth scene—focused on accidents in older adults, including ethical considerations and AI-based soft-skill assessment—is now underway with support from the Chulalongkorn Innovation Fund. Expected to be completed this year, it will be the world's first simulation of its kind.

Ultimately, ER-VIPE aims to cultivate healthcare teams who communicate better, think together, and deliver safer, more effective care.

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/276022/

Media Contact:
Chula Communication Center
Email: Pataraporn.r@chula.ac.th 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

ER-VIPE Simulation Game Builds Medical Students' Soft Skillsfor Real-World Emergency Care

ER-VIPE Simulation Game Builds Medical Students' Soft Skillsfor Real-World Emergency Care

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