MediPost has established a significant breakthrough for entering the Japanese orthopedic market by signing an exclusive license agreement for Cartistem with Teikoku Pharma, a Japanese pharmaceutical company with a 170-year history.
On December 19, MediPost announced that it had signed a license agreement with Japan's Teikoku Pharma for exclusive sales rights to commercialize Cartistem® in Japan. This agreement is a key strategic partnership for the commercialization phase in Japan, following the recent completion of Cartistem’s Phase 3 clinical trial in the country.
MediPost has signed a license agreement with Japan's Teikoku Pharma for the exclusive sales rights to commercialize Cartistem® in Japan. MediPost
The agreement, executed through MediPost's Japanese subsidiary (MEDIPOST K.K.), consists of an upfront payment, short- and mid-term milestones (technology fees) based on product approval, and long-term milestones linked to sales performance. Upon signing, Teikoku Pharma will pay an upfront fee of approximately 11.8 billion KRW (8 million USD). This decision reflects strong confidence in Cartistem’s commercial potential in the Japanese market. In addition, upon receiving product approval from Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), a milestone payment totaling approximately 14.8 billion KRW (10 million USD) will be made. The active pharmaceutical ingredient for Cartistem will be manufactured and supplied by MediPost in Korea, while the finished product will be produced by a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) in Japan.
Through this partnership, Teikoku Pharma is also making strategic preparations to strengthen its position in the Japanese orthopedic market. The company plans to gradually expand its dedicated orthopedic sales team to around 100 members and enhance its capabilities to provide treatments for diseases with significant unmet medical needs, including knee osteoarthritis.
Seungjin Lee, Head of Global Business Division and CEO of MediPost’s Japanese subsidiary, stated, "Teikoku Pharma is the ideal partner, equipped with a sales network rooted in Japanese orthopedics. Through our collaboration, we expect to accelerate Cartistem’s entry into the Japanese market. Based on the completion of Phase 3 clinical trials, we are expediting preparations for product approval in Japan and aim for commercialization in 2028, maintaining close cooperation between both companies."
Meanwhile, Teikoku Pharma, which signed this agreement, was founded in 1848 and, under the slogan "For a World Without Pain," has developed, manufactured, and sold pharmaceuticals based on transdermal drug delivery technology, especially transdermal patches and medical narcotic analgesics. In the field of osteoarthritis, the company has also signed a basic sales agreement with ReqMed Company, Ltd. for the exclusive sales rights in Japan of NaPPS (sodium pentosan polysulfate) subcutaneous injection, which is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials in Japan.
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