About NANO MRNA
NANO MRNA is evolving a cycle of mRNA medicine IP generation-licensing as a platform company that connects drug discovery seeds with medical and drug development needs.
CEO Message
NANO MRNA is pursuing business growth under the strategic objective of establishing a cycle of mRNA medicine intellectual property (IP) creation and licensing as a platform linking mRNA drug discovery seeds and medical and development needs.
Last year, in the mRNA drug pipeline, a therapeutic vaccine project for allergies and autoimmune diseases in collaboration with Kao Corporation progressed to the candidate selection stage. Joint research with Senju Pharmaceutical in the field of ophthalmology is also progressing well. These results will lead to the creation of Intellectual Property in the near future. In addition, we will soon be able to announce the start of Phase I study of RUNX1 mRNA project in patients with knee osteoarthritis, developed in collaboration with the Institute of Science Tokyo.
In the non-mRNA drug pipeline, the Phase I trial of TUG1 ASO in glioblastoma multiform patients, developed in collaboration with Nagoya University, started February last year and has progressed ahead of schedule to dose level 3 of four. No serious adverse events have been reported to date and anti-tumor activity is currently being evaluated.
Last fiscal year, we launched a new contract-based business in mRNA drug discovery for pharmaceutical companies, etc., and we are already carrying out contracts. The collaboration with Crafton Biotechnology, which has been included in the pipeline, is also positioned as a contract-based business, with project funding provided by SCARDA as one of the mechanisms to supplement research and development costs.
This year, the top priority is to start the first-in-human study of RUNX1 mRNA and in parallel we will accelerate the clinical trial of TUG1ASO to explore the possibility of establishing a clinical POC. The goal of both assets is to out-license to pharmaceutical companies, so we will take the appropriate steps for each clinical stage.
We truly appreciate your continued support for our activities.
Sincerely yours,

Shiro Akinaga
President & CEO
January 1, 2025
Corporate Profile
Corporate Nam | NANO MRNA Co.,Ltd. |
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Location |
Tokyo Office (Head office)Atago Green Hills MORI Tower 26F LabShonan Health Innovation Park (ADDP) |
Subsidiary Company | PrimRNA Co., Ltd. |
NanoCarrier US. Inc | |
Establishment | June 14, 1996 |
Representative Director |
President and CEOShiro Akinaga Chairperson of the BoardAtsushi Matsumura |
Capital | 166 million yen (As of June 27, 2025) |
Number of employees & management | 27 (As of June 27, 2025) |
Scopes of Business | R&D and production of pharmaceuticals using micellar nanoparticles technology. |
Management
Shiro Akinaga, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Apr. 1981 | Joined Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (currently Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.) |
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Apr. 1994 | Senior Researcher at pharmaceutical research center of Kyowa Hakko |
Apr. 2001 | Therapeutic Area Manager of oncology group at Drug Discovery Research Division of Kyowa Hakko |
Apr. 2006 | Served as Director of International Development Department and Director of Clinical Development I Department, R&D Division of Kyowa Hakko |
Oct. 2008 | Director, Clinical Development I Department, Development Division of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (currently Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.) |
Mar. 2011 | Executive Officer (International Development) of Kyowa Hakko Kirin |
Mar. 2013 | Fellow of Kyowa Hakko Kirin |
Mar. 2017 | Director and CSO of AccuRna, Inc. |
Nov. 2018 | Chairman of the board, CEO of AccuRna, Inc. |
Jun. 2020 | Director of the Company |
Sep. 2020 | Managing Director of R&D Division & CSO of the Company |
Sep. 2022 | Representative Director and President of PrimRNA, Inc. |
Dec. 2022 | President and CEO, Managing Director of R&D Division & CSO of the Company |
Oct. 2023 | President and CEO (current) |
Atsushi Matsumura
Chairperson of the Board
Apr. 1986 | Joined Nomura Securities, Co., Ltd |
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Jan. 2008 | Representative Director of Quiet Partners Inc. |
Sep. 2010 | President of Whiz Partners Inc. |
Mar. 2012 | Director of the Company |
Mar. 2017 | Director of ALBERT Inc. |
Dec. 2019 | Chairman of the board of AXEL MARK INC. |
Apr. 2020 | Chairman of the board of Axcelead, Inc. |
May 2020 | President and CEO of Whiz Partners Inc. |
Mar. 2021 | Director of AXEL MARK INC. |
Jun. 2021 | Director of the Company |
Jan. 2023 | Chairman and Director of the Company |
Jun. 2025 | Representative Director, Chairperson of the Board (current) |
Takashi Matsuo
Board of Director
Apr. 1984 | Joined YAMAZEN CORPORATION |
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Apr. 1998 | General Manager of Corporate Planning Department of AUTOBACS SEVEN Co., Ltd. |
Jun. 2002 | Director and Executive Officer in charge of Corporate Planning, Finance & Accounting, PR and IR and General Manager of Corporate Planning Management Office of AUTOBACS SEVEN Co., Ltd. |
Jun. 2004 | Director and Officer in charge of Corporate Strategy Promotion and General Manager of Corporate Planning Management Office of AUTOBACS SEVEN Co., Ltd. |
Apr. 2006 | Director and CSO and Head of Corporate Strategy Promotion of AUTOBACS SEVEN Co., Ltd. |
May 2007 | Director and CSO, Head of Corporate Strategy Promotion and Co-COO and Head of Overseas Business Strategy Promotion of AUTOBACS SEVEN Co., Ltd. |
Apr. 2010 | Representative Director and President of TAIYO Co., Ltd. |
Apr. 2013 | Representative Director and President of AUTOBACS Nankai Ltd. |
Apr. 2014 | Representative Director and President of AUTOBACS Fukuoka Ltd. |
Apr. 2021 | Councilor of AUTOBACS Minami-Nihon Sales, Ltd. |
Jun. 2023 | Audit & Supervisory Board Member of the Company |
Aug. 2023 | Representative Director of Value Create Inc. (current) |
Jun. 2025 | Director of the Company (current) |
Hajime Kurozu
Board of Director
Apr. 1982 | Joined Nomura Securities, Co., Ltd. |
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Apr. 2003 | Various senior positions at Nomura Securities, Co., Ltd., including General Manager of Corporate Finance Department I and General Manager of Osaka Finance Department I |
Oct. 2007 | Seconded to Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. |
Dec. 2010 | Seconded to LIC Nomura Mutual Fund Asset Management Pvt. Ltd. (India) |
Mar. 2016 | Various senior positions at Rating and Investment Information, Inc., including Managing Executive Officer and General Manager of RM Division in charge of RM Division, Market Sales Department, and Hong Kong Office; Head of Hong Kong Office; Manager in charge of Marketing Division |
Apr. 2017 | Managing Executive Officer in charge of RM Division, Market Sales Department, and Hong Kong Office at Rating and Investment Information, Inc. |
Mar. 2019 | Senior Managing Executive Officer responsible for Sales, and in charge of Marketing Division, and Head of Hong Kong Office at Rating and Investment Information, Inc. |
Mar. 2021 | Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer responsible for Sales, and in charge of Marketing Division, and Head of Hong Kong Office at Rating and Investment Information, Inc. |
Mar. 2024 | President and CEO of P-ALM Capital Co., Ltd. (current) |
Jun. 2024 | Audit & Supervisory Board Member of the Company (current) |
Seiichiro Wada
Outside Auditors
Apr. 1986 | Joined Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. |
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Jul. 2008 | Head of Real Estates Investment Business Department of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. |
Apr. 2013 | Head of Overseas Sales Department of Nomura Real Estate Asset Management Co., Ltd. |
Oct. 2014 | Managing Director of Nomura Real Estate Asset Management Co., Ltd. |
Apr. 2015 | Executive Managing Director of Nomura Real Estate Asset Management Co., Ltd. |
Apr. 2017 | Audit and supervisory board member of Nomura Real Estate Asset Management Co., Ltd. (current) |
Jun. 2023 | Auditors to the Company (current) |
Jul. 2023 | Managing Director, Whiz Partners Inc. |
Niro Sakamoto
Outside Auditors
Apr. 1983 | Joined Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (currently Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.) |
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Apr. 2006 | Director of Biochemical Planning and Management Department of Kyowa Hakko |
Jul. 2007 | Executive Officer and General Manager of Corporate Planning Department of Daiichi Fine Chemical Co., Ltd |
Apr. 2010 | Director of Accounting Department of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (currently Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.) |
Apr. 2012 | Executive Officer and Director of Corporate Planning Department of Kyowa Hakko Kirin |
Apr. 2015 | Executive Officer and Director of General Affairs Department of Kyowa Hakko Kirin |
Mar. 2021 | Outside Company Auditor of Chiome Bioscience Inc. |
Nov. 2021 | Director of Administration Department of Kyulux, Inc. (current) |
Mar. 2025 | Outside Director (Audit and Supervisory Committee Member) of Chiome Bioscience Inc. (current) |
Jun. 2025 | Auditors to the Company (current) |
Takuma Shimizu
Outside Auditors
Oct. 2002 | Registration as an Attorney at law Joined Asahi and Koma Law Office (currently Nshimura & Asahi) |
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Apr. 2007 | Partner of Iota law and patent offices |
Apr. 2012 | Part-time Professor of Faculty of Law of Department of Law of Keio University(current) |
Sep. 2012 | Audit and supervisory board member of ABEJA, Inc. (current) |
Oct. 2014 | Outside Company Auditor of CRE, Inc. |
Oct. 2015 | Outside Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member of CRE, Inc. (current) |
Mar. 2017 | Representative Partner of Iota law and patent offices (current) |
Mar. 2018 | Supervisory Officers of KAJIMA Private REIT, Inc. (current) |
Mar. 2019 | Outside Company Auditor of CBcloud Co., Ltd. (current) |
Apr. 2022 | Outside Company Auditor of DUAL Holdings Corp. |
Mar. 2024 | Outside Director of DUAL Holdings Corp. (current) |
Jun. 2025 | Auditors to the Company (current) |