Life Sciences Report 2/1/2017 TLSR: Okay, let's move on to licensing deals. What's going on in Japan?
CN: Back in 2013, before the Japanese regenerative medicine laws were promulgated, RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (RP:TSX.V; REPCF:OTCQB) and Shiseido Company Ltd. (4911:TYO) signed a deal for Replicel's RCH-01 product, which is for androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness. Shiseido is taking the RCH-01 product down the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine (ASRM) route to market, as they see immense market potential to offer the treatment as quickly as possible to men who suffer from pattern baldness. The ASRM route to market does not come with the coveted Japanese NHI insurance coverage, but the indication is one that doesn’t necessarily need the NHI insurance coverage incentive to work.
"I would keep my eyes peeled on RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. and Shiseido in the coming months for indications as to when the male pattern baldness therapy will become available in Japan."
Shiseido already has opened the Shiseido Cell-Processing and Expansion Center (SPEC) in Kobe and is using this location as its base to develop and eventually provide the therapy. Not many non-Japanese companies understand the ASRM route to market but it is one that a relatively well-known regenerative medicine company, Cytori Therapeutics Inc. (CYTX:NASDAQ), has already received multiple approvals for over the years and is a very real and relatively fast route to market that exists in Japan. I would keep my eyes peeled on RepliCel and Shiseido in the coming months, too, for indications as to when the therapy will become available in Japan.