Press releases
June 2022
EPD Co., Ltd.
Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai FIRE CLINIC

Joint R&D Agreement for Regenerative Medicine Using Brown Adipocytes(for Slimming/weight loss)Concluded with
Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai FIRE CLINICEPD Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Tomohisa Hayakawa; hereinafterreferred to as EPD) has signed a joint research and development agreement with Medical
Corporation Tomoshibikai FIRE CLINIC (Chairman: Masatoshi Egoshi, hereinafter referred to as
Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai) for the achievement of regenerative medicine using brown
adipocytes (for weight loss/slimming).

【Release highlights】
・ EPD has started investigating the use of brown adipocytes for regenerative medicine, focusing
on their fat-burning and thermogenic effects.
・ The company signed a joint research and development agreement with Medical Corporation
Tomoshibikai, the operator of FIRE CLINIC, which specializes in medical weight loss to conductclinical studies of regenerative medicine using autologous brown adipocytes.

【Release details】
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Japanese Ministryof Health, Labour and Welfare, the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) in Japan is 33.0% in
men and 22.3% in women aged 20 years and older1), with a significant increase in men during thedecade ending in 2019. In addition to diabetes and hypertension, obesity-caused or -associatedhealth problems include serious diseases such as coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction.
Obesity also imposes a substantial economic burden on society. The OECD has reported thatapproximately 8.4% of healthcare expenditures are spent on treating obesity-related diseases in

1 / 3

OECD countries. 2)
EPD possesses direct reprogramming technology to generate brown adipocytes from human skincells. The implantation of brown adipocytes generated and cultured in vitro using this technology
into the body is expected to result in weight loss/slimming due to their fat-burning andthermogenic effects.
EPD has entered into a joint research and development agreement with Medical Corporation

Tomoshibikai, the operator of a medical weight loss clinic, for the commercialization of this technology.
Within the scope of this collaborative research and development, EPD will make preparations toconduct clinical research on Class II regenerative medicine using cultured autologous brown adipocytes
under the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine.

For the EPS Group, regenerative medicine is a challenge in its new business domain.

【Reference】
1) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, 2019https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_14156.html

2) OECD iLibrary The Heavy Burden of Obesity The Economics of Prevention
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-heavy-burden-ofobesity/summary/japanese_69eb163d-ja【About EPD Co., Ltd.】EPD Co., Ltd. was established by EPS Creative Health Technology Group Limited in 2021 todevelop its own pipeline of drug discovery in the healthcare field. Through its brown adipocyte
derivative technology, the company aims to contribute to improving people’s health.

【About Medical CorporationTomoshibikai】
Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai operates FIRE CLINIC which specializes in medical weightloss. With the goal of achieving safe weight loss without rebound, FIRE CLINIC provides
personalized therapy using three modalities, anti-obesity drugs, physical and mechanical procedures,and coaching.

Inquiries regarding this matter
EPD Co., Ltd.

Medical Corporation Tomoshibikai FIRE CLINIC

2 / 3

Shinji Kondo

Hiroki Goshima

E-mail：kondo.shinji385@eps.co.jp

E-mail：goshima@fire-clinic.com

3 / 3