April 14, 2022
Fukushima Medical University aim to accelerate cancer research by contributing their patient derived organoids tothe CancerTools.org initiative
London – UK, Fukushima and Tokyo - Japan: CancerTools.org, the research tools arm of Cancer Research UK (CRUK),
and the Fukushima Medical University (FMU) and Summit Pharmaceuticals International (SPI) today announced a newpartnership to progress their shared mission of accelerating cancer research. Through this partnership, FMU has madetheir patient derived organoids (F-PDO®) available to the global cancer research tools community.
Progress in cancer research has always been dependent on the generosity and willingness of scientists to make theirrare and unique materials accessible to their colleagues. Scientists globally will now be able to access these latest
experimental models from FMU for use in disease modelling, drug development, toxicology screening and other related
applications.
As part of this partnership, CancerTools.org will work with FMU and their technology transfer partner Summit
Pharmaceuticals International (SPI) to bring the production of these organoids in-house and manage quality control
and global distribution. These are the first primary tumour tissue - derived organoids to be part of the existing tools
portfolio within CancerTools.org.
F-PDO® are well-characterized experimental models derived from patient explants with 15 different types of cancer.
Expansion and differentiation of these tissues/cells produces functional “mini-organs”. Preserving similar genetic profileand morphology with source tumor tissue, F-PDO® represent a physiological and patient-specific path to assess safety
and efficacy of drugs in addition to disease modelling. Their physiological nature mimics human biology, which allows
them to accurately predict patient response to treatment in comparison to traditional systems.
Motoki Takagi, Ph.D., of FMU commented “Our collaboration with CancerTools.org will allow us achieve our goal ofmaking these incredible technologies accessible to researchers in their pursuit of organoid based research. This is anexciting opportunity for FMU to demonstrate to their scientists how their research efforts can expand beyond theconfines of their own lab helping to accelerate cancer research and the associated discoveries worldwide”.
Robert Bondaryk, Global Head, Research Tools, at CRUK remarked “At CancerTools.org we are on a mission toaccelerate cancer research. Partnering with FMU and SPI allows us to demonstrate to their research community thevalue of the tools they are developing in their labs. On our end, organoids as experimental models are a complementary
addition to the portfolio which will expand the offering and include tools that will benefit in vitro disease modelling,
drug discovery and development together with safety and toxicity studies.”“This is the beginning of an exciting partnership and we look forward to working with CancerTools.org to enable thescientists from FMU effortlessly make a long-standing impact in oncology research by contributing tools to this uniqueand first of its kind collaborative in this field”, commented Katsuya Okuyama, President & CEO of SPI.

About CancerTools.org / Cancer Research UK
CancerTools.org, the research tools arm of CRUK, is a non-profit, global community of cancer researchers, academic
institutes and societies, with a shared mission to accelerate cancer research discoveries. In this collaborative,researchers contribute research tools and share knowledge to deepen our understanding of cancer, and drive
innovation within cancer research.
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world’s leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. It invests morethan £400 million annually into cancer research through funding schemes, conferences, initiatives, resources, and a
UK-wide network of research infrastructure across basic, translational, clinical and population research.

About Fukushima Medical University
Fukushima Medical University was established for the purpose of educating and fostering medical education of people
who contribute to the health, medical care and welfare of people in Fukushima Prefecture. At the same time, as a
research institute, it has an important mission of asking the world about the results of constant research.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident in 2011, the government quickly supported
the resurgence of Fukushima from the perspective of medical care and health, and it has accelerated its activities incooperation with medical institutions and research institutions around the world. As part of its activities, FMU
established the Industry for Medical-Industrial Translational Research in 2012. By bridging the medical community andindustry, FMU provides multifaceted support for the development of new drugs, diagnostic reagents and test reagentsfor cancer-based diseases.
Through these efforts, FMU is contributing to the creation, clustering and employment of pharmaceutical-relatedindustries in Fukushima Prefecture, as well as contributing to the improvement of the quality of cancer treatment anddiagnosis within Fukushima Prefecture to maintain and improve the health of the prefectural population.
For more information, visit https://www.fmu.ac.jp/home/trc/en/

About Summit Pharmaceuticals International
SPI is a company that provides support for everything from research and development to manufacturing and sales ofpharmaceuticals. They offer cutting edge technology and products from all over the world to the domestic
pharmaceutical industry in Japan.
For more information, visit https://www.summitpharma.co.jp/.