Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO-iCAP No.2 Fund"), with Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation ("Kyoto iCAP", Head office: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto) as general partner, is pleased to announce the launch of T-CiRA, a joint research program between Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Institute ("CiRA") and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda", Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Christophe Weber). (Head office: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto; President: Kenji Nonaka), a company that will utilize the research results of T-CiRA, a joint research program between the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) of Kyoto University and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Christophe Weber; hereinafter "Takeda"), and Oridul Therapeutics, Inc. (Head Office: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan; Representative Director: Takeshi Nonaka; hereinafter "Oridul Tx"), a company that will utilize the research results of T-CiRA, a joint research program of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and has made a seed investment in the company.

Outline of this investment
In 2015, CiRA and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company agreed to collaborate in T-CiRA with the aim of accelerating research into the practical application of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cell) technology, leading to early social implementation of regenerative medicine and drug development. The T-CiRA, which will be in operation for 10 years, will be headed by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University (Director of CiRA and President of the Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Foundation), and Takeda is providing a total of 20 billion yen in research funding, personnel, facilities and other support. Based on the validation of the non-clinical efficacy of the two cell therapy programs at T-CiRA, the two parties have agreed to transfer the research assets of these two projects to the newly established Orizuru Tx.

The Orizuru Tx project will start with two pillars: the first is to bring two projects that have been validated in non-clinical trials at T-CiRA, one using iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes, which was studied by Project Leader Yoshinori Yoshida (Associate Professor at CiRA), and the other using iPS cell-derived islet cells, which was studied by Project Leader Taro Toyoda (Lecturer at CiRA). Project leader Yoshinori Yoshida (CiRA Associate Professor) and project leader Taro Toyoda (CiRA Lecturer), using iPS cell-derived pancreatic islet cells, are to lead to clinical application. Orizuru Tx has entered into a Patent Assignment and Research Asset License Agreement with Kyoto University and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, which own the T- CiRA intellectual property, for the research and development and provision of regenerative medicine products related to both projects.

Second, we support the practical application of iPS cell technology by providing technology related to differentiation, culture, purification, etc. of iPS cells to organizations conducting research and development of iPS cell technology. In consideration of the continuity of research and development from T-CiRA, Professor Yamanaka has been invited to chair the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of Orizuru Tx. We are very pleased that the innovative iPS cell research results from the T-CiRA program, in which academia and Takeda researchers work as one team, will be passed on to Orizuru Tx for its early social implementation," said Professor Yamanaka.

Orizuru Tx is an organization of approximately 60 employees. Each employee has cutting-edge iPS cell technology and know-how, as well as outstanding experience in pharmaceutical research and development. Each and every employee has a strong sense of mission to bring iPS cells to society and to patients. The president of the company is Dr. Kenshi Nonaka, M.D., a physician. Nonaka Dai

Director Omote said, "Orizuru Tx is committed to delivering high quality and excellent processes for the products and services we provide. Through iPS cells born and grown in Japan, we will contribute to deliver regenerative medicine to society and patients.

Kyoto iCAP highly evaluated the world-class research results and R&D capabilities of Orizuru Tx and established Orizuru Tx in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and made a seed investment together with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and SMBC Venture Capital Co. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Makoto Takashima), which assisted in the preparations for the establishment of Orizuru Tx.

(Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Junichi Hanzawa), SMBC Venture Capital, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Kazuya Oyama), Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masaki Tachibana), MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Shuichi Watanabe), and Japan Venture Capital Corporation (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Minoru Tagaya). The total amount of ORIZUR Tx's third-party allotment, including Seed and Series A, amounted to 6 billion yen. Of this amount, Kyoto iCAP invested approximately 1 billion yen.

Outline of Zuorizuru Therapeutics, Inc.

Establishment	April 2021
Business	Development of regenerative medical products for cell transplantation, support for drug discovery research utilizing iPS cell-related technologies, and development of infrastructure for regenerative medical research
Head Office Location	Sakyo-ku, Kyoto Office LocationFujisawa-shi, Kanagawa
President & CEO	Ken Nonaka