Social implementation of research outcomes

One of RIKEN IMS’s missions is to translate research outcomes into social benefit.

In 2025, a total of 22 patent applications were filed from RIKEN IMS, including priority applications, national phase entries, and patent cooperation treaty (PCT) applications.

In addition, IMS research achievements translate into societal benefit through intellectual property (IP) licensing. Such IP licensing is being granted to three startup companies, RaFjik, BrightPath, and Animal Allergy Clinical Laboratories.

Furthermore, in 2025, an investigator-initiated First-in-Human clinical trial for an aAVC-CoV-2 vaccine was started at Kagawa University Hospital in collaboration with Dr. Fujii’s team in IMS. Using Artificial Adjuvant Vector Cell (aAVC) technology developed by Fujii and colleagues, this vaccine aims to protect patients at high risk of severe COVID-19, such as those with B-cell lymphoma, who have reduced or absent antibody production. Unlike traditional vaccines, aAVC technology triggers a robust, dual immune response (innate and adaptive), offering a breakthrough for those with weakened immune systems. This project is supported by the Vaccine Modality Advancement Projects (VACMODA) Initiative, under the Strategic Center for Biomedical Advanced Vaccine Research and Development Planning (SCARDA), marking a significant step toward the social implementation of this innovative therapy.

To further accelerate the "Bench to Bedside" pipeline for aAVC technology against cancer and infectious diseases, a RIKEN-launched venture company, "RaFjik," has been established. They are dedicated to advancing this translational research through both clinical testing and business development, to deliver the technology to society.