What PorMedTec does

PorMedTec (株式会社ポル･メド･テック) is a privately held Japanese bio-resource company founded in February 2017 as a spin-off venture from Meiji University's International Institute for Biomedical Resource Research, headquartered in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. The company manufactures and sells gene-modified donor pigs (Designated Pathogen Free / DPF pigs) as a next-generation regenerative medicine supply for xenotransplantation — organ transplantation from pigs to humans. PorMedTec's core technology platform centers on the proprietary U-iR sterile pig manufacturing method (module-based isolators producing pathogen-free donor pigs), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning of gene-modified cells licensed from US partner eGenesis (69 genomic edits including 3 glycan knockouts, 7 human transgenes, and 59 PERV inactivations), and patented rescue chimera / blastocyst complementation technology. The product portfolio spans four organ pipelines: kidney transplantation (lead indication, ~14,000 patients on Japan's waitlist), heart transplantation, external liver perfusion systems for acute liver failure, and pancreatic islet transplantation for Type 1 diabetes. Supporting technologies include vitrification cryopreservation (patent filed), high-sensitivity Real-time PCR virus testing panels developed through AMED's CiCLE program, and humanized organ production via iPS cell hybridization (patent filed).

The business model is B2B enterprise sale of donor pigs to transplant medical institutions, supplemented by potential out-licensing of proprietary technology (U-iR, cloning, humanized organ methods) as a royalty stream. Go-to-market relies on direct relationships with academic medical centers and contract-based pricing negotiated per institution; no publicly disclosed pricing exists. Current commercial activity is limited by preclinical and clinical readiness — first primate xenotransplant experiments ran November 2024, Japan's first enterprise clinical trial for xenokidney transplantation was announced June 2026 targeting 2028 trial start, and current production capacity (50 pigs/year as of February 2025) is being scaled to several hundred pigs/year within two years. Revenue generation is not yet material; the company has raised approximately ¥2.1 billion cumulatively through AMED/METI government grants and a ¥510.72 million February 2025 third-party allocation led by industrial partner Sekine and JGC MIRAI Innovation Fund, with Eight Roads Ventures (Fidelity) as an existing shareholder.

PorMedTec operates in a near-duopoly domestic position as Japan's only enterprise conducting gene-modified pig xenotransplantation development, with regulatory tailwinds from inclusion in Japan's National Bioeconomy Strategy and the government's Growth Strategy 17 priority fields roadmap. Manufacturing relies on Meiji University's cloning facility and a new Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) facility for colony maintenance, with planned large-scale production enabled through the Sekine partnership. Target customer segments are Japanese end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis (~350,000 nationally with ¥1.6 trillion annual medical cost), ~122,000 Type 1 diabetes patients, severe heart failure patients, and acute liver failure patients (~400 cases/year). Founding leadership combines scientific depth (CEO/CSO Hiroshi Nagashima, Meiji University Research Special Professor) with commercial experience (President Genjiro Miwa, former Bain & Co. and Mitsubishi Chemical executive). The company is pre-revenue, pre-clinical (clinical trial start planned for 2028), and operates with 1-10 employees.

Name

PorMedTec

Legal name

株式会社ポル･メド･テック

Website

https://pormedtec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PorMedTec is a Japanese biotech company (founded 2017, Meiji University spin-off) that manufactures gene-modified donor pigs (DPF pigs) using SCNT cloning and the proprietary U-iR sterile method for xenotransplantation, developing kidney, heart, liver perfusion, and pancreatic islet organ supply for Japanese transplant medical institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Xenotransplantation

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Point-of-Care Regenerative Kits & Devices (Processing/Delivery) (HLAMANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

IV Therapy, Infusion & Fluid Management (Pumps, Catheters, Fluid Sets) (HLAMAFAG), Exosome & Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Therapeutics (HLAMANAE)

Keywords

• Xenotransplantation products
• Gene-modified donor pigs
• Regenerative medicine manufacturing
• Xenograft organ production
• Biopharmaceutical manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kawasaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gene-Modified Donor Pig Sales: Production and supply of gene-modified donor pigs to transplant medical institutions for clinical use. Revenue generated from sale of donor pigs to hospitals conducting xenotransplantation procedures.
2. Xenotransplantation Technology Licensing: Potential out-licensing of proprietary technologies including U-iR method, cloning technology, and humanized organ production to domestic and international partners.
3. Regenerative Medicine Products: Manufacturing and sales of transplantable organs and tissues as next-generation regenerative medicine products, targeting healthcare providers and transplant centers globally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PorMedTec manufactures and sells gene-modified donor pigs (DPF pigs) and their derived organs and tissues as next-generation regenerative medicine products for xenotransplantation. The company produces pathogen-free donor pigs using its proprietary U-iR sterile isolation breeding method and somatic cell cloning technology, leveraging eGenesis's 69-genomic-edit platform. The current product portfolio spans four organ pipelines: kidney transplantation, heart transplantation, liver perfusion systems, and pancreatic islet transplantation for end-stage renal disease, severe heart failure, acute liver failure, and Type 1 diabetes patients respectively.

Product overview

PorMedTec is a biotechnology company developing and manufacturing genetically modified donor pigs for xenotransplantation (organ transplantation from pigs to humans). The company operates a platform of core technologies including the U-iR Method for sterile DPF pig production and somatic cell cloning technology for creating gene-modified animals. The product portfolio spans four organ transplantation pipelines: Kidney Transplantation, Heart Transplantation, Liver Perfusion System, and Pancreatic Islet Transplantation. Supporting technologies include vitrification cryopreservation, pathogen testing, and humanized organ production. The company leverages eGenesis's 69-gene modification platform to suppress immune rejection and inactivate porcine endogenous retroviruses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kidney Xenotransplantation (DPF Pig Kidney) Xenotransplantation product using gene-modified DPF pig kidneys for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), addressing Japan's severe kidney donor shortage with 14,000+ patients on transplant waitlists and average wait time of 14+ years. The kidney pipeline is PorMedTec's most advanced program with a corporate clinical trial planned for 2028 at Hokkaido University Hospital and Tokushukai's Shonan Kamakura General Hospital.
• Heart Xenotransplantation (DPF Pig Heart) Xenotransplantation product using gene-modified DPF pig hearts for patients with end-stage heart failure, addressing the shortage of donor hearts. Hearts are preserved using specialized devices at 8°C with oxygen and preservation solution circulation during transport.
• Liver Perfusion System External blood perfusion system connecting gene-modified DPF pig livers to support liver function in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Addresses ~400 acute liver failure cases per year in Japan with 53% ACLF mortality and 60% acute alcoholic hepatitis mortality.
• Pancreatic Islet Xenotransplantation Xenotransplantation product using pancreatic islets isolated from gene-modified DPF pigs for treatment of Type 1 diabetes, addressing the critical donor shortage for approximately 122,000 Type 1 diabetes patients in Japan who currently rely on lifelong insulin injections. The vitrification cryopreservation method is being developed to support this product.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14+ year kidney transplant wait time in Japan vs. 3-5 years in the US
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Hokkaido University (北海道大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026National university hospital agreed to serve as clinical trial site for Japan's first enterprise clinical trial of gene-modified pig kidney xenotransplantation. Hokkaido University President Koganehara stated it represents a historic step bringing new hope to patients facing chronic organ donor shortages. Target: 2028 clinical trial start at Hokkaido University Hospital.
• Tokushukai Medical Group / Shonan Kamakura General Hospital (徳洲会グループ / 湘南鎌倉総合病院)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Tokushukai Medical Group, operating 94 hospitals nationwide with ~6,000 dialysis patients, agreed to serve as clinical trial site for gene-modified pig kidney xenotransplantation at Shonan Kamakura General Hospital. Group aims to leverage scale advantages for rapid clinical application.
• Sekine (株式会社セキネ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2025Pig farming facility construction and equipment manufacturer with 85+ years of experience. Strategic partner for building large-scale production and supply ecosystem for donor pigs. Contributed to February 2025 funding round. Company aims to leverage Sekine's pig farming expertise for scaling donor pig production from 50 to hundreds per year.
• Kagoshima University (鹿児島大学)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2024Joint research partner for xenotransplantation preclinical studies. Professor Hisao Sahara's AMED-funded project on quality/efficacy/safety evaluation methods for animal-derived organs for transplantation. Donor pigs supplied for primate kidney transplant experiments.
• Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (京都府立医科大学)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2024Partner institution for primate xenotransplantation studies. Associate Professor Masayoshi Okumi performed the kidney transplant surgery on a cynomolgus monkey (November 2024) using PorMedTec's gene-modified donor pig.
• eGenesis (イージェネ시스)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2024US-based biotechnology company developing gene-modified pigs for xenotransplantation. PorMedTec licenses eGenesis's proprietary gene-modified pig technology (69 genomic edits) and reproduces production in Japan using somatic cell cloning. eGenesis has conducted 4 patient kidney xenotransplant trials (as of 2025). PorMedTec's donor pigs are based on eGenesis's EGEN-5784 liver / KG-5784 kidney platform. Strategic partnership is the cornerstone of PorMedTec's domestic clinical development.
• Meiji University International Institute for Biomedical Resource Research (明治大学 バイオリソース研究国際インスティテュート)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2024Meiji University research institute provides somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning technology and facilities for producing gene-modified cloned pigs. PorMedTec was established as a Meiji University spin-off venture. The institute developed the U-iR method and provides ongoing R&D collaboration including artificial chromosome introduction into pigs (July 2023), pathogen testing panel development, and virus infection risk evaluation (October 2025).
• Settnan University (摂南大学)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2023Research partner in CiCLE project, co-developing pathogen testing panel for donor pigs and new methods for evaluating virus infection risks from donor pigs (October 2025), contributing to enhanced safety of xenotransplantation.
• Sumitomo Pharma / Daiichi Sankyo (住友ファーマ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2023Co-development partnership with Sumitomo Pharma for kidney regeneration using iPS cells. Joint development aimed at realizing iPS cell-based kidney regenerative medicine. Separate from the gene-modified pig xenotransplantation program.
• Japan IDDM Network (認定特定非営利活動法人 日本IDDMネットワーク)minorOthers · 17 March 2022Type 1 diabetes patient/family support organization that subscribed to convertible bonds issued by PorMedTec (March 2022). Represents the patient community that is a key beneficiary of the company's islet transplantation program.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• eGenesis: U.S.-based biotech that developed the 69-edit gene-modified pig platform PorMedTec licenses for xenotransplantation. Both companies produce multi-edited donor pigs for kidney, heart, liver and islet xenotransplantation; eGenesis is simultaneously the closest technology partner and the leading global competitor to PorMedTec.
• Revivicor (United Therapeutics subsidiary): Pioneered FDA-approved GalSafe gene-modified pigs and is the historical leader in xenotransplantation platform development. Operates in the same gene-modified-pig-for-transplant category as PorMedTec with overlapping target indications (kidney, heart).

Broad incumbents

• United Therapeutics: Public biotech parent of Revivicor with a broader organ-manufacturing and pulmonary hypertension franchise. Competes with PorMedTec in xenotransplantation through its subsidiary, but operates across multiple therapeutic areas and geographies unlike PorMedTec's Japan-focused mission.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Large-cap biotech pursuing VX-880 stem-cell-derived islet cell therapy for Type 1 diabetes, the same patient population targeted by PorMedTec's pancreatic islet pipeline. A broad incumbent with overlapping end indication but using a different (non-xenogeneic) cell engineering approach.
• Sana Biotechnology: U.S. cell engineering biotech with hypoimmune allogeneic cell and ex vivo hypoimmune programs relevant to organ transplantation and Type 1 diabetes. A broader regenerative medicine peer leveraging engineered cell platforms rather than gene-modified pigs.

Emerging players

• OrganOx: U.K.-based medical device company whose normothermic liver machine perfusion (metra) system is partnered with eGenesis for the PERFUSE-2 brain-dead donor liver studies. Directly adjacent to PorMedTec's liver perfusion pipeline using comparable gene-modified pig livers.
• Sernova Corp: Clinical-stage cell therapy company developing Cell Pouch systems for islet transplantation in Type 1 diabetes. Targets the same end indication as PorMedTec's pancreatic islet pipeline but uses encapsulated allogeneic cells rather than gene-modified pig islets.
• Heartseed Inc. Tokyo-based regenerative medicine biotech developing iPS-derived cardiomyocytes (HS-001) for severe heart failure, the same end indication as PorMedTec's heart xenotransplantation pipeline. Closest Japanese-domestic peer in the cardiac regeneration space with a different (iPS cell) technology approach.

Regional players

• Sumitomo Pharma: Japanese pharmaceutical partner of PorMedTec in a parallel iPS-cell-based kidney regeneration co-development program. Operates in an adjacent technology stack (iPS-derived kidney tissue) targeting the same Japanese ESRD market but is not a direct xenotransplantation competitor.

Others

• Intellia Therapeutics: Clinical-stage in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing platform company. Not a xenotransplantation peer but operates on the same underlying genome editing and CRISPR delivery technology stack that PorMedTec uses to engineer its 69-edit donor pigs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 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 PorMedTec