News Release
TAGCyx and Toray Launch Joint Research Initiative toCombat Preeclampsia during Pregnancy as Part ofEfforts to Stem Japan’s Declining Birthrate
Tokyo, Japan, January 4, 2024 – TAGCyx Biotechnologies, Inc., announced today that it hasembarked on joint research into blood purification therapy for preeclampsia with Toray
Industries, Inc. and the University of Tokyo.
This initiative will clarify the pathophysiology and timing of interventions in driving tocommercialize the world’s first truly efficacious treatment for preeclampsia by 2030.
Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterized by highblood pressure. Severe preeclampsia can harm mothers and fetuses by causing kidney, liver,brain, and other organ damage and fetal growth failure. It occurs in 3% to 5% of pregnancies(see Citation 1). It is a key cause of death and long-term complications in pregnant womenand newborns. One mechanism of its pathogenesis could be the fms-like tyrosine kinase-1
protein (sFlt-1; see Glossary note 1) in mothers’ blood (Citation 2). There is a pressing needto develop effective treatments for this disease.
The joint research aims to develop an adsorption column that selectively adsorbs tyrosine
kinase-1 and has high anti-thrombogenic properties to prevent blood component losses in
expectant mothers, having the column adsorb and remove sFlt-1 from maternal blood while
it is circulating outside the body. By removing the causative agent, the blood purification
therapy does not transfer the drug to the fetus, eliminating an issue in drug discovery. This
therapy should thus be simple to apply in clinical settings.
TAGCyx is engaged in the research and development of DNA nucleic acid aptamers (Glossarynote 2) with high target selectivity and blood stability through its proprietary platform
technology, Xenoligo®, consisting of a world-leading artificial base pairing technology and amini-hairpin technology. TAGCyx has obtained a candidate aptamer that selectively
recognize sFlt-1 and confirmed selective adsorption of sFlt-1 using the aptamer immobilizematerial. TAGCyx has also confirmed that sFlt-1 can be removed from the blood of patientswith preeclampsia. Toray commercialized TORAYMIXINⓇ as a column to remove bacteriaderived endotoxins in blood by developing a compound that binds endotoxins with fibers,
incorporating it into the column. Before embarking on this joint research, the company
combined technology amassed through TORAYMIXIN with proprietary anti-thrombogenic
polymer technology it innovated in developing artificial kidneys to create a fiber technology
offering improved anti-thrombogenic properties. TAGCyx and Toray combined their own
proprietary technologies and have already confirmed the fundamental concept of fixing
sFlt-1 binding nucleic acid aptamers onto the fiber, for the selective adsorption of sFlt-1.
This joint research will develop sFlt-1 adsorption columns with a view to commercialization－1 / 2－

while constructing an animal model in the laboratory of Associate Professor Takayuki
Iriyama of the University of Tokyo Hospital to verify the efficacy of the sFlt-1 adsorption
column and analyze serum from preeclampsia patients.
This joint research will be conducted under the Development of Medical Devices andSystems for Advanced Medical Services program of the Japan Agency for Medical Researchand Development.
Glossary
1. sFlt-1 is a soluble isoform of fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (Flt-1) that inhibits angiogenesis.
Elevating blood concentrations of sFlt-1 inhibits angiogenesis and vascular endothelial
disfunction, leading to such key preeclampsia symptoms as hypertension and urinary
protein. Insurance coverage for predicting the onset of preeclampsia by measuring sFlt1 levels began in 2021, and is now in practical use.
2. A nucleic acid aptamer is a molecule in which a single-stranded DNA takes on a threedimensional structure enabling it to bind specifically and with high affinity to a particularmolecule, resulting in advanced functionalities.
Citations
1. Sato M. Obstetrics and Gynecology 2019; 86: 163-9.
2. T. Chaiworapongsa et.al. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2014; Aug;10(8):466-80.
Corporate Profiles
TAGCyx Biotechnologies, Inc., is a biotech company that exploits its proprietary
Xenoligo® drug discovery platform technology in seeking to create highly functional
nucleic acid drugs and medical devices by deploying nucleic acid aptamers incorporating
artificial bases.
Corporate website: https://tagcyx.com/en/
Technology information portal: https://tagcyx.com/en/techinfo
Toray Industries, Inc., is a basic materials manufacturer that creates advanced materials
across a range of fields, including fibers, resins, chemicals, films, electronics andinformation-related materials, carbon fibers and composite materials, pharmaceuticals andmedical products, and water treatment, by leveraging its core technologies of organic
synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.
Corporate website: https://www.toray.com/global/

Press Contact
info@tagcyx.com－2 / 2－