UTokyo IPC Announces Investment in Beren Therapeutics, P.B.C.
PrintAccelerating Open Innovation 1 Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter “AOI 1 Fund”), managed by UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda; hereinafter “UTokyo IPC”), has announced an investment in Beren Therapeutics, P.B.C.(Headquartered in the United States; CEO: Jason Camm; hereinafter “Beren Therapeutics”), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel cyclodextrin-based therapeutics to treat a range of intractable diseases.
Beren Therapeutics was co-founded by CEO Jason Camm and is operating in stealth mode alongside its public-facing subsidiary, Mandos. The company is developing a pipeline of cyclodextrin-based therapeutics, leveraging the unique ring-shaped structure of these oligosaccharides to selectively encapsulate pathogenic compounds. Beren is initially targeting the abnormal accumulation of cholesterol within cells because it plays a pathogenic role in a broad range of diseases. Its lead candidate is being developed by Mandos, who has recently released data at the American Neurological Association reporting a substantial survival benefit with investigational drug adrabetadex in the treatment of individuals with infantile-onset Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC).* The rest of the pipeline will be disclosed at a later date.
“As a Public Benefit Corporation, it is core to our mission to engage with global regulatory agencies, including PMDA, to support access to our therapies,” noted CEO Jason Camm.
“We are also looking forward to working closely with UTokyo IPC to expand our discovery operations into Japan, building on our team’s expertise with Japan’s world-leading cyclodextrin talent and researchers to expand our pipeline.”
“Beren Therapeutics is advancing innovative therapeutic modalities based on cutting-edge science to address serious unmet medical needs,” said Makoto (Mark) Ohori, Partner and Chief Investment Officer (Life Sciences), UTokyo IPC.
“We are delighted to support the company’s efforts to deliver breakthrough treatments to patients and to further strengthen Japan’s drug discovery ecosystem.”
Through this investment, UTokyo IPC is committed to supporting the company’s research and development activities in multiple dimensions, including to address the country’s “drug lag and drug loss.”**
Furthermore, Beren Therapeutics intends to leverage its subsidiary, Beren Therapeutics K.K., established in 2025, as a base to drive collaborative research with academia and pharmaceutical companies in Japan. These efforts are expected to foster globally competitive drug discovery talent and connect Japan’s drug discovery ecosystem with the global community.
* Disclaimer: adrabetadex has not been approved by the FDA or any regulatory authority at this time.
**“Drug lag” refers to delays in the availability of new drugs in Japan compared to other countries, while “drug loss” refers to drugs never introduced in Japan despite approval elsewhere.
The information contained in this notice is current at the time of publication and subject to change without notice.
About UTokyo IPC
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC) is a venture capital firm dedicated to fostering the academia-related startup ecosystem.
Founded: January 2016
Shareholder: The University of Tokyo (100%)
Headquarters: Entrepreneur Laboratory 261, South Research Building, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Kosuke Ueda, President & CEO
Website: https://www.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/
Contact:
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
Entrepreneur Laboratory 261, South Research Building, The University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033
TEL: +81-3-3830-0200 / FAX: +81-3-3830-0183
Email: info2@utokyo-ipc.co.jp
Partner in charge: Makoto Ohori