2015

World Alliance Forumin San Francisco
2015 WAFSF Attendee Composition

On November 12 and 13, 2015, the Alliance Forum Foundation,
together with the Government of Japan, successfully held the 2015
World Alliance Forum in San Francisco (WAFSF). Entitled,“Regenerative Medicine: Let’s Talk Business,” the third annual
conference on stem cell technologies and regenerative medicine
focused on the commercialization and industrialization. Over 300
attendees representing small and large businesses, research
institutes and hospitals, governments and agencies, nonprofits, andthe media from the US, Japan, and beyond participated in exciting
discussions at 2015 WAFSF.
The highlights of the conference include
the keynote speech by Dr. ShinyaYamanaka, the Nobel laureate who
discovered iPS cells. Dr. Yamanaka shared
exciting developments in the clinicaltranslation of iPS cells as well as ininfrastructure building around thetechnology, including cultivating humanresources and iPS cell banking.
Ms. Susan Solomon moderating the concluding panel discussion “Regenerative Medicine 2020& 2030” joined by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, Dr. Jonathan Thomas, and Mr. Robert Klein

The Forum also showed an increasing interest and entry of
established companies – including many large pharmaceuticaland biotech players – into the regenerative medicine field.
Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Celgene, GE, Fujifilm, andHitachi were among the speakers and many more inattendance. The executives of these companies strongly
emphasized the high potential of the field and are seeing huge
opportunities both in the development of regenerative
therapeutics, and enabling technologies or services.
Save the Dates: 2016 WAFSF
November 21 & 22, 2016
@ Golden Gate Club in San Francisco
More at www.wafsf.org

Speakers (left to right): Drs. S. Yamanaka, M. Takahashi, H. Okano, T. Takebe(right)Ms. Amy DuRoss of GE Ventures in the panel discussion“Investing & Partnering in Regenerative Medicine”

Japan’s Regulatory change allowing cell and gene therapy
a path to early conditional approval was another area ofhigh interest and, the new framework is also stimulating
partnership activities between regenerative medicine
businesses in the US and other countries and Japanesecompanies. Fujifilm and Cellular Dynamics International,
for example, returned to the Forum and discussed theirpartnership in detail, highlighting the trend.

Organization in Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC

PAST PARTICIPANTS (Selected)


Dr. Yuichiro Anzai, President, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Dr. Kenichi Arai, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo Institute of Medical
Science
Dr. Paul Berg, Director Emeritus & Nobel Laureate, Stanford University
Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine
Dr. Arlene Chiu, Director, Office of New Research Initiatives, City of Hope
Dr. Jason Coloma, Head of Venture & Innovation, Roche PartneringAmbassador George Hara, Chairman, Alliance Forum Foundation; SpecialAdvisor, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister of Japan; International Council
Member, Salk Institute; Visiting Professor
Dr. Seigo Izumo, Senior VP & Global Head of Regenerative Medicine Unit,
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Regis Kelly, Director, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences(QB3)
Dr. Robert Klein, Chair Emeritus, California Institute for Regenerative
Medicine
Dr. Arnold Kriegstein, Director, UCSF Center of Regenerative Medicine andStem Cell Research
Mr. Edward Lanphier, President & CEO, Sangamo Biosciences, Inc.;
Chairman, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM)
Mr. Martin McGlynn, CEO, StemCells, Inc.
Dr. Michiharu Nakamura, President, Japan Science and Technology Agency
Dr. Hiromitsu Nakauchi, Professor, Stanford University & The University ofTokyo
Dr. Hideyuki Okano, Dean & Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio
University
Dr. Mahendra Rao, Former Director, NIH Center for Regenerative
Medicine
Dr. Brock Reeve, Director, Harvard Stem Cell InstituteDr. Yoshiki Sawa, Dean & Professor, Osaka University Graduate School ofMedicine
Ms. Susan Solomon, CEO, New York Stem Cell Foundation
Dr. Deepak Srivastava, Director, Gladstone Institutes
Dr. Masayo Takahashi, Project Leader, Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration
Research, RIKEN
Dr. Jonathan Thomas, Governing Board Chair, California Institute ofRegenerative Medicine (CIRM)
Mr. Yuzo Toda, Senior VP & Director on the Board, FUJIFILM;
Representative Director & Chairman, Forum for Innovative Regenerative
Medicine (FIRM)
Dr. Alan Trounson, Former President, California Institute for Regenerative
Medicine (CIRM)
Dr. Irving Weissman, Director, Stanford University Institute for Stem Cell
Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mr. Michael Werner, Executive Director, Alliance for Regenerative
Medicine (ARM)
Dr. Sandy Williams, President, Gladstone Institutes
Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, Nobel Laureate & Professor, Kyoto University; Senior
Investigator, Gladstone Institutes

Organization in Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC

Contact: Taira Ishikura
Web: www.wafsf.org
Tel: +1 (415) 433-7118
Email: tishikura@allianceforum.org