Japan - USA:

 Regenerating the World of Medicine

Luncheon/Webcast of April 2, 2015 at the Penn Club in New York

This meeting will consist of two presentations and a panel discussion about the state of regenerative medicine in Japan and the USA.

Abstract on Regenerative Medicine in Japan  

Japan has a proven record of effectively bringing emerging highly complex technologies to market. This has been put to the test in the national interest generated by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, the 2012 Nobel Prize winner who found that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC's) could be derived from normal adult cells. This breakthrough could eliminate the need to harvest embryonic tissue and accelerate the advances in this field to an unparalleled level.

In a bold move to break the rigid mold of requiring three stages of lengthy clinical trials before new therapies are considered for approval, Japan's new law requires an early stage clinical trial to confirm safety of the therapy and provide evidence of efficacy. Japan's new "conditional approval" will enable the product to be brought to market, and obtain reimbursement.

Since the late 1980s Asahi Glass Company (AGC), the leading glass manufacturer in the world and a respected chemical producer, has been at the forefront in yeast genomic development that led to a key position in research and manufacturing services to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Join us to hear how the former leader of that biotech effort, and one of only two Fellows at AGC, will lead AGC’s Central Research interface with the consortium of companies that have embraced the iPSC initiative in Japan as they create one of the most streamlined paths for medicine in the 21st century.

Abstract on Regenerative Medicine in USA   

Stem cell research offers the greatest hope for medical advances we have ever known. However, USA Federal funding limitations have slowed our progress toward cures. Since 2005, The New York Stem Cell Foundation took a leading role in using private funds to provide vital support in USA and globally for the most advanced forms of stem cell research – including iPSC and human embryonic stem cell research – and perform translational research focused directly on curing diseases. In fact, two key breakthroughs in the past several years were supported by NYSCF, including the creation of the first patient-specific stem cell lines for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and the successful reprogramming of pancreatic cells. iPSC has become a fundamental research tool for the creation of genetic models of types 1 and 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and living bone with human stem cells at the NYSCF Laboratory in New York City.

Please join with us to hear how NYSCF is planning to realize the extraordinary promise of the research frontier of the 21st century: stem cells.

11:30 am to noon -  Networking
 noon to 1:00 pm -   Luncheon
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Presentation 

SPEAKER:  Hiromichi Kumagai, PhD, is presently Fellow and Biotech Laboratory Head of AGC’s Central Research in Yokohama, Japan.  Kumagai obtained a BS (1978) and a PhD (1983) at the Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, School of Science of the University of Tokyo. He was a Researcher at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry and from 1986 to 1990 a Researcher at the Asahi Glass Co. Ltd.

In 1997 he became New Business Leader at Asahi and in 2000 became Managing Director of Asahi's ASPEX Division which features a S. pombe expression system with a unique chromosome engineering technology, termed 'Minimum Genome Factory.’  He received  the 2010 Technical Award of the Japanese Association of Animal Cell Technology and the 2011 Award 2011 of the Japan Bio-industry Association.

SPEAKER:  Stephen Chang, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development at NYSCF, leads R&D projects and has oversight of regulations and policies related to business units, partnerships with industry and other institutions.

Prior to joining NYSCF, Dr. Chang served as Chief Scientific Officer of Stemgent upon the company's founding in 2008. He was previously the CEO of Multicell Technologies and continues as a Director of this company.  

Dr. Chang is president of CURES, a coalition dedicated to ensuring the safety, research, and development of innovative lifesaving medications. He is also a board member of Histogen, Inc., a privately held company in regenerative medicine.

Dr. Chang received his PhD in biological chemistry, molecular biology, and biochemistry from the University of California, Irvine.

Panel Discussion Moderators

Dr. Nathan Tinker has been Executive Director of NewYorkBIO since 2007. As Executive Director, Nathan serves as a spokesman and advocate for the state’s industry.  He has more than 20 years of experience in working with both global and emerging technology companies.  Prior to joining NYBA, he served as Executive Director of the Sabin Vaccine Institute Cancer Vaccine Consortium and as the Director of the Nanotechnology and Biotechnology Practice at Antenna Group.  Before that, Dr. Tinker was Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of the NanoBusiness Alliance. 

Dr. Tinker began his career in market research serving such clients as Apple, Sprint, Cantor Fitzgerald, DaimlerChrysler, Yahoo! and CSX. 

Dr. Tinker is in the advisory boards of Physicians Interactive Holdings, Viral Genetics, Versilant Technologies and Namar Consulting, as well as with non-profit groups, including Nanotechnology Commercialization Association.

Dr. Paul Pospisil is a Senior Client Partner, Global Life Sciences at KornFerry.  His primary focus is to assist biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies in recruiting for positions such as chief executive officer, chief business officer, head of research and development and other key executives.

Prior to joining KornFerry, Dr. Pospisil was a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of both Aduro Capital LLC, an investment management company focused on the public healthcare sector and Aduro Partners LLC, an advisory firm focused on helping venture-backed and public life science companies assess, evaluate, partner opportunities and build businesses. He has worked at Atlas Venture, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Altus Biologics.

Dr. Pospisil holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University and a Bachelor's Degree in biochemistry from NYU. He attended Harvard Business School's Program for Management Development (PMD).