Kyoto University
Graduate School of Medicine
Medical Innovation Center

The model of MIC projects is the Center for Innovation in Immunoregulative Technologies and Therapeutics (the AK Project) run by Kyoto University and Astellas Pharma Inc. since 2008 in the Formation of Innovation Center for Fusion of Advanced Technologies program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan. Each project is managed by the Joint Steering Committee comprising of an equal number of university and company members (Figure 2). Each project is led by a professor studying the target area(s) and a team leader of the partner company. Under their direction, young principal investigators of Kyoto University appointed by the Joint Steering Committee collaborate with company researchers and perform the major part of the project research in Open Innovation Laboratory in the Medical Innovation Center. Clinicians at the Kyoto University Hospital and basic medical scientists in Kyoto University School of Medicine join the projects and collaborate with the project PIs and company scientists. In this way, the MIC links clinical information and basic medical knowledge of Kyoto University with high drug development resources of the company. Each project has its own IP (intellectual property) managers, who handle intellectual properties and contracts of the project, and coordinate patent applications and scientific publications.

This MIC system conducts drug discovery efficiently through smooth cooperation between the university and the company from target finding to exploratory clinical trials. We welcome any proposal from any pharmaceutical companies on new areas.