Heartseed Secures $26 Million Series B Funding to Advance iPSC-Based Therapy for Heart Failure

On November 25, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned via Business Wire that Japanese biotechnology company Heartseed announced the completion of a ¥2.8 billion (approximately $26 million) Series B financing round. Investors in this round included SBI Investment, JMDC Japan, Gene Techno Science, Nissay Capital, SMBC Venture Capital, and Astellas Venture Management.

Heartseed plans to use the funds from this financing round to advance the development of highly efficient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and conduct clinical trials for HS-001, a therapeutic agent for heart failure (HF). Additionally, the company will support the clinical trial for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) initiated by the research team at Keio University in Tokyo.

Heartseed, established in 2015 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company specializing in regenerative medicine. The company is dedicated to translating cardiac regenerative medicine into clinical practice, providing novel therapies for severe conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), dilated-phase hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (D-HCM), myocardial infarction, and heart failure (HF). Heartseed’s founder, Keiichi Fukuda, is a Professor in the Department of Cardiology at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo and has been leading his team in research on cardiac regenerative medicine.

Heart failure (HF) is a severe consequence triggered by necrotic cardiac conditions such as myocardial infarction. Patients primarily present with irreversible cardiac damage and impaired pumping function. Statistics indicate that there are 1.3 million heart failure patients in Japan and 5 million in the United States. Since myocardial necrosis is irreversible, the only potential cure for these patients is heart transplantation. However, due to the shortage of donated organs relative to demand, many patients remain without access to treatment.

Currently, Heartseed is developing a therapeutic approach that involves generating cardiomyocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and transplanting them into patients’ cardiac tissue to treat heart diseases such as heart failure (HF). iPSCs are derived by artificially inducing non-pluripotent cells to express specific genes. They share many similarities with natural pluripotent stem cells, including gene and protein expression profiles, chromatin methylation patterns, embryoid body formation, chimera formation capabilities, and differentiation potential.

In 1995, Keiichi Fukuda first published his research findings in a prestigious international journal, demonstrating that cardiomyocytes could be derived from bone marrow mesenchymal cells. Over the years, Professor Fukuda’s team has conducted numerous clinical studies on mesenchymal cells and achieved significant results. The primary cause of heart disease is left ventricular systolic failure. They believe that transplanting a sufficient quantity of high-purity, ventricle-specific cardiomyocytes may represent a fundamental treatment for heart failure (HF), an approach that can be realized through induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology and cardiac regenerative medicine.

Professor Keiichi Fukuda stated, “Over the past two decades, I have been engaged in research on cardiac regenerative medicine, addressing key challenges such as the differentiation, purification, large-scale production, and effective delivery of ventricular-specific cardiomyocytes. We appreciate the support of our investors and remain committed to advancing the application of regenerative medicine in the field of heart disease, striving to become a leader in the regenerative medicine industry.”

SBI Investment, established in 1999 and headquartered in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, is a venture capital and asset management firm primarily dedicated to promoting economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.

JMDC Japan, established in 2002 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a health diagnosis and care institution primarily supporting the development of novel medical technologies.

Gene Techno Science (Tokyo Stock Exchange ticker symbol: 4584) was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Hokkaido, Japan. The company is primarily engaged in the research and development of biopharmaceutical products and biosimilars for the treatment of immune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and tumors.

Nissay Capital, established in 1991 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a venture capital and financial services firm. The company primarily invests in seed-stage and mid-to-late-stage companies, providing startups with initial funding and growth capital.

SMBC Venture Capital, established in 1992 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a venture capital firm that primarily provides various bank-centric financial services.

Astellas Venture Management, established in 2005 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm primarily investing in the biotechnology and healthcare sectors.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)