TMS was established in 2005 for the commercialization of a family of compounds called stachybotrys microspora triprenyl phenol (SMTP) discovered in microorganisms by TUAT scientists led by Dr. Keiji Hasumi, professor of the TUAT Fermentation Science Laboratory. Initial research efforts were concentrated on TMS-007, an SMTP compound. TMS-007, which dissolves blood clots and controls inflammation, is anticipated to be highly effective for treating acute ischemic strokes.
TMS stepped up its development activity after receiving funding from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in 2011. In 2018, the company entered into an assignment option agreement with Biogen, one of the biggest such agreement won by a university-originated clinical-stage biotech firm in Japan to date.
I joined Recruit Co., Ltd. after graduating from university and worked on new business development and venture investment. I was also involved as a legal team member in activities to help market university-developed technologies. Taking advantage of my experience in these areas, I left Recruit and then created a venture capital firm focused on startups originating in academia. TMS was one of our investments.
I became co-CEO of TMS in 2011. The company was in a tight financial position at the time, and I wanted to help, not just to protect our investment but also because I thought the company deserved to survive. Then, in 2018, I became a full-time CEO of TMS. I suppose it was fated to be, so to speak.

I think a major turning point for TMS occurred in 2015, when MUCAP invested in us for the first time. We were in the midst of Phase I clinical trial at the time, but our grant from JST was about to run out. A new source of funding was absolutely necessary to complete our clinical trials.
The investment professional from MUCAP in charge of TMS at the time had known Dr. Hasumi from the start of TMS. He was apparently aware of the strong potential of TMS-007 from early on and was waiting for a good time to invest in us. And that happened to be in 2015. I am thankful that he made the decision, because it truly saved us. We did not have anyone else to turn to, because we were still in Phase I clinical trial and did not have the data to attract investors. In fact, I have heard that some people at MUCAP were skeptical of our potential. If we had not received MUCAP funding in 2015, I think TMS would not be what it is today.
MUCAP also helped us on the Biogen deal by introducing us to a business manager with knowledge of the US pharma and biotech sector, who then referred us to an attorney specializing in license negotiations. We did not know at the time that we needed someone who had expertise in licensing negotiations, and we certainly did not know who to contact for assistance in that area. So, if it had not been for MUCAP’s assistance, we probably would not have succeeded in our licensing negotiations as well.
Looking back, I can see that MUCAP has supported and advised us at critical points in our business development. We probably would not be where we are today if it had not been for them.

We will now concentrate our R&D efforts on TMS-008 and TMS-009, next in the pipeline following TMS-007. TMS-008 has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and is being studied for indications of acute kidney injury. At present there are no drugs approved for this treatment, so if TMS-008 can be commercialized, we think we can make a major contribution to society. TMS-009 is positioned as a backup for TMS-008, as it has a similar pharmacological activity as TMS-008 but a different chemical structure. Our aim is to add other drugs to the pipeline by initiating new research and partnering with academia.
I also hope TMS can work actively to help bring discoveries made by Japanese academia to the global market by capitalizing on the experience we have gained through our partnership with global pharmaceutical companies and our global IPO.