EPD Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Tomohisa Hayakawa; hereinafter referred to as EPD) has signed a joint research and development agreement with Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai FIRE CLINIC (Chairman: Masatoshi Egoshi, hereinafter referred to as Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai) for the achievement of regenerative medicine using brown adipocytes (for weight loss/slimming).

【Release highlights】
・ EPD has started investigating the use of brown adipocytes for regenerative medicine, focusing on their fat-burning and thermogenic effects.
・ The company signed a joint research and development agreement with Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai, the operator of FIRE CLINIC, which specializes in medical weight loss to conduct clinical studies of regenerative medicine using autologous brown adipocytes.

【Release details】
　According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) in Japan is 33.0% in men and 22.3% in women aged 20 years and older¹⁾, with a significant increase in men during the decade ending in 2019. In addition to diabetes and hypertension, obesity-caused or -associated health problems include serious diseases such as coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction. Obesity also imposes a substantial economic burden on society. The OECD has reported that approximately 8.4% of healthcare expenditures are spent on treating obesity-related diseases in OECD countries.²⁾
　EPD possesses direct reprogramming technology to generate brown adipocytes from human skin cells. The implantation of brown adipocytes generated and cultured in vitro using this technology into the body is expected to result in weight loss/slimming due to their fat-burning and thermogenic effects.
　EPD has entered into a joint research and development agreement with Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai, the operator of a medical weight loss clinic, for the commercialization of this technology. Within the scope of this collaborative research and development, EPD will make preparations to conduct clinical research on Class II regenerative medicine using cultured autologous brown adipocytes under the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine.
　For the EPS Group, regenerative medicine is a challenge in its new business domain.

【Reference】
1) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, 2019
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_14156.html
2) OECD iLibrary The Heavy Burden of Obesity The Economics of Prevention
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-heavy-burden-of-obesity/summary/japanese_69eb163d-ja

【About EPD Co., Ltd.】
　EPD Co., Ltd. was established by EPS Creative Health Technology Group Limited in 2021 to develop its own pipeline of drug discovery in the healthcare field. Through its brown adipocyte derivative technology, the company aims to contribute to improving people’s health.

【About Medical CorporationTomoshibikai】
　Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai operates FIRE CLINIC which specializes in medical weight loss. With the goal of achieving safe weight loss without rebound, FIRE CLINIC provides personalized therapy using three modalities, anti-obesity drugs, physical and mechanical procedures, and coaching.


《Inquiries regarding this matter》
EPD Co., Ltd.
Shinji Kondo
E-mail：kondo.shinji385@eps.co.jp

Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai FIRE CLINIC
Hiroki Goshima
E-mail：goshima@fire-clinic.com