LUCA Science

What LUCA Science does

LUCA Science Inc. is a Japan-based, pre-clinical stage biotechnology company founded in December 2018 that is pioneering a new class of biopharmaceutical — functional mitochondria delivered as therapeutic agents. The company's proprietary platform, iMIT (Intact Mitochondrial Isolation Technology), isolates intact mitochondria from cells with preserved outer and inner membrane integrity, retaining ATP production capacity and mtDNA even after freeze-thaw cycles, enabling off-the-shelf storage and delivery as a biopharmaceutical. Its lead product candidate is MRC-Q (Mitochondria oRganelle Complex Q), described as the world's first mitochondria-containing formulation, with preclinical proof-of-concept demonstrated in Leigh Syndrome mouse models (47% lifespan extension in Ndufs4 knockout mice), myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, fetal growth restriction (FGR/IUGR), CAR-T cell metabolic enhancement, and COVID-19 ARDS.

The company's business model is presently pre-revenue and oriented toward eventual product commercialization and pharma licensing/co-development deals, not direct sales. Its go-to-market motion is enterprise-field-sales in nature, centered on academic research collaborations with leading universities (Osaka, Washington University in St. Louis, Oxford, Nagoya, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Tokyo University of Science) to generate preclinical evidence and shape the regulatory pathway for a novel modality. The company has established a wholly-owned UK subsidiary (LUCA Science UK Ltd., Oxford, March 2021) to anchor European collaborations, operates CMC laboratories in Tokyo and Sapporo, and has secured non-dilutive AMED grant funding for COVID-19 ARDS research. As of the data window, LUCA has raised approximately ¥4.89 billion (~$40M) across a Series A (Sept 2020, ¥1.03B) and an oversubscribed Series B (June 2022, ¥3.86B), and is advancing toward IND filing with GMP manufacturing process development underway.

Name

LUCA Science

Legal name

LUCA Science Inc.

Website

https://luca-science.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LUCA Science is a Japan-based pre-clinical biotech that develops mitochondria-based biopharmaceuticals using its proprietary iMIT isolation platform, with lead candidate MRC-Q targeting inherited mitochondrial diseases, cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, and other energy-deficiency disorders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mitochondrial Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) & Microbiota Restoration Products (HLAAAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Neurology/CNS Gene Therapies (HLAAACAH)

Keywords

• Mitochondrial therapy
• Biopharmaceutical development
• Drug delivery platform
• Cell therapy technology
• Regenerative medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Mitochondrial Biopharmaceutical Development and Commercialization: LUCA Science develops mitochondria-based biopharmaceutical products (e.g., MRC-Q) through preclinical and clinical stages. Revenue will be generated through product sales upon regulatory approval, and potentially through licensing deals with pharmaceutical partners. As a pre-revenue preclinical-stage company, no commercial products are currently generating revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LUCA Science develops functional mitochondria as biopharmaceutical therapeutic agents using its proprietary iMIT (Intact Mitochondrial Isolation Technology) platform. Its lead product candidate, MRC-Q (Mitochondria organelle Complex Q), is the world's first storable mitochondria-containing formulation designed to restore cellular bioenergetics in patients with mitochondrial and related diseases. The pipeline targets inherited mitochondrial diseases (Leigh Syndrome), cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, fetal growth restriction, CAR-T cell enhancement, and COVID-19 ARDS.

Product overview

LUCA Science is pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics. The company's core platform is iMIT (Intact Mitochondrial Isolation Technology), which enables the isolation and preservation of functional mitochondria as biopharmaceutical agents. The lead product is MRC-Q (Mitochondria organelle complex-Q), the world's first mitochondria-containing formulation designed to treat mitochondrial diseases such as Leigh syndrome. The platform technology allows mitochondria to be incorporated into host cells and show improvement in bioenergetics profile within hours. LUCA Science is actively collaborating with leading academic and industry partners across multiple therapeutic areas including neurology, cardiology, obstetrics/gynecology, and immunology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MRC-Q (Mitochondria organelle Complex Q) The world's first storable biopharmaceutical formulation composed of mitochondria and associated intracellular organelles isolated from human cells using LUCA's proprietary iMIT technology. Administered to improve cellular energy metabolism; preclinical data show therapeutic effects in Leigh Syndrome models and enhancement of CAR-T cell metabolic fitness and anti-tumor activity.
• iMIT (Intact Mitochondrial Isolation Technology) A novel proprietary method to isolate intact, storable, functional mitochondria from cells that preserves outer and inner membrane integrity and ATP production capacity after freeze-thaw cycles, enabling delivery as an off-the-shelf biopharmaceutical agent and incorporation into host cells with improvement in bioenergetics profile within hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• MRC-Q extended lifespan in Leigh Syndrome mouse model (Ndufs4 KO mice): control 53 days vs. Q-treated 78 days — a 47% increase in survival.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Osaka UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2024Co-research partner in the Nature Metabolism publication on mitochondria transfer-based therapies reducing morbidity and mortality of Leigh Syndrome. International research team led by Dr. Jonathan Brestoff at Washington University with collaboration from Osaka University.
• Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2024Co-research partner in the groundbreaking Nature Metabolism publication. The research team was led by principal investigator Dr. Jonathan Brestoff, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Immunology. Demonstrated that transplantation of healthy wild-type mitochondria can ameliorate Leigh Syndrome symptoms and extend lifespan in mouse models.
• Hokkaido University (Department of Hematology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2022Collaboration with Prof. Takanori Teshima's group demonstrating that LUCA's proprietary mitochondria (Q) enhances CAR-T cell metabolic fitness and anti-tumor activity. Results presented at ASH 2022 Annual Meeting. Shinpei Harada presented findings on intercellular mitochondrial transfer enhancing CAR-T cells.
• Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)coreOthers · 16 February 2021LUCA Science was selected for AMED's 'Medical Research and Development Innovation Infrastructure Creation Project (CiCLE)' grant program. Signed委托 R&D contract with AMED for development of mitochondrial drug treatment for COVID-19 ARDS through industry-academia-government collaboration.
• Kyoto University (Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Collaborating university partner under AMED CiCLE grant for COVID-19 ARDS mitochondrial drug development.
• Tokyo University of Science (Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Collaborating university partner under AMED CiCLE grant for COVID-19 ARDS mitochondrial drug development.
• Hokkaido University (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Collaborating university partner under AMED CiCLE grant for COVID-19 ARDS mitochondrial drug development. Also the host institution for LUCA's research laboratory.
• Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (Graduate School of Engineering)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Collaborating university partner under AMED CiCLE grant for COVID-19 ARDS mitochondrial drug development.
• Nagoya University (Division of Cardiology, Graduate School of Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Joint research collaboration for the development of mitochondrial therapy for cardiac ischemic-reperfusion injury (myocardial infarction). Led by Prof. Toyoaki Murohara. LUCA Science's mitochondria therapy expected to reduce myocardial infarction size and provide acute therapeutic benefits.
• University of Oxford (Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2020Joint research for the treatment of fetal growth restriction (FGR/IUGR) using LUCA Science's proprietary drug delivery platform. Prof. Manu Vatish (full Professor, FRCOG) leads Oxford's research team. Research focuses on delivering mitochondria to placental tissues to increase energy supply to malnourished fetuses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Minovia Therapeutics: Israeli clinical-stage biotech pioneering mitochondrial augmentation therapy (MAT), which transplants healthy mitochondria into patients with mitochondrial diseases. Directly comparable to LUCA's iMIT platform as both companies use isolated exogenous mitochondria as therapeutic agents for inherited mitochondrial disorders.
• Pretzel Therapeutics: US-based biotech developing small-molecule and biological therapies that modulate mitochondrial biology to treat mitochondrial disease. Comparable to LUCA as a focused mitochondrial-disease therapeutic company, though using a different therapeutic modality (small molecules vs. mitochondrial transfer).
• Stealth BioTherapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing elamipretide and other mitochondria-targeted therapies for rare mitochondrial diseases including Barth syndrome and primary mitochondrial myopathy. Directly comparable therapeutic-area competitor in mitochondrial medicine.
• Khondrion: Dutch clinical-stage biotech developing small-molecule therapies for primary mitochondrial diseases and complex neuromuscular disorders. Comparable to LUCA as a focused mitochondrial-disease drug developer targeting similar indications.
• Abliva: Swedish clinical-stage biotech (formerly NeuroVive) developing therapeutics for mitochondrial disease, including KL1333 for primary mitochondrial disease. Comparable to LUCA in therapeutic area and stage, with similar indication focus.
• GenSight Biologics: French clinical-stage gene therapy company developing AAV-based treatments for inherited retinal diseases including Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a mitochondrial disease. Comparable to LUCA in targeting mitochondrial disease indications through a novel therapeutic modality.

Emerging players

• Mineralys Therapeutics: Emerging clinical-stage biotech working on mitochondrial-targeted approaches for metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Comparable to LUCA's cardiac ischemia-reperfusion program and broader mitochondrial therapeutic strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Astellas Pharma: Japanese global pharma with major presence in rare disease, mitochondrial biology, and cell/gene therapy. Relevant incumbent comparable as a potential partner/acquirer for LUCA's mitochondrial platform, particularly given the COO's prior Astellas leadership.
• Chugai Pharmaceutical: Japanese biopharma (Roche subsidiary) with deep biologics manufacturing expertise and rare disease focus. Relevant as a potential partner for manufacturing and commercialization, and as a comparable Japanese biopharma with similar therapeutic ambitions.

Others

• 4BIO Capital: London-based VC firm specializing exclusively in advanced therapies (cell, gene, RNA, microbiome) that co-led LUCA's Series B round. Relevant ecosystem participant that often co-invests in or supports comparable mitochondrial and cell therapy companies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/luca-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LUCA Science