Tohoku University Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, and MICIN, Inc. begin joint research to acquire data through the implementation of wearable devices

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December 23, 2020
Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University National University
Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Inc.
MICIN Corporation

Key points of the presentation

Contents

Tohoku University Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (Organization Director: Masayuki Yamamoto, hereinafter referred to as "ToMMo"), Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (Chairman: Yuzuru Nakayama, hereinafter referred to as "Pharmaceutical Association") and MICIN Corporation (MICIN, Representative Director: Seigo Hara, hereinafter referred to as "MICIN") signed a joint research agreement on October 20, 2020, The research is aimed at acquiring data through the implementation of wearable devices.
ToMMo and the Pharmaceutical Cooperative Association will collaborate on the TMM project ([Reference] <Tohoku Medical Megabank ( In this joint research, we plan to select participants in the Brain and Mental Health Study and analyze their sleep and activity habits based on the information in the questionnaire. While the lifestyle data from these questionnaires is very important as basic data for the TMM project, it is based on the subjective responses of individual participants and has limitations in conducting objective and quantitative research. Therefore, as a means of objectively and quantitatively acquiring daily lifestyle data, we aim to easily and objectively acquire data on participants' sleep and daytime activity status by utilizing wearable devices, which are becoming widely used in recent years for general and medical purposes. The joint research for the purpose of verifying the implementation of the wearable device has been started with MICIN.

Outline of the research plan

The outline of the joint research plan is as follows. The research period is until March 2021.

Research Organization

ToMMo
Pharmaceutical Cooperative and Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Janssen Pharma
MICIN

Details of Research

Toward the realization of lifestyle data acquisition using wearable devices from TMM Project cohort survey participants, a feasibility study will be conducted to evaluate various operational tasks and secure data acquisition and management processes in the survey at the time of device implementation. Wearable devices have been suggested to have future potential as a means of acquiring sleep and physical activity data on a daily basis. Participants in the Brain and Mental Health Study who are 65 years of age or older at the time of participation in the study and who have given consent to participate in the study will be the eligibility criteria, with the aim of enrolling the first case on December 14, 2020, and enrolling up to approximately 30 cases by the end of the final participant enrollment (expected mid-February 2021).

Background of joint research

Since fiscal 2011, ToMMo has been conducting health surveys of 150,000 local residents, mainly in the affected areas, together with Iwate Medical University, with the understanding and cooperation of local residents, in conjunction with the rehabilitation of medical care and reconstruction of medical institutions in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. At the same time, a biobank of biological samples, health information, etc. is being built, with the aim of establishing a next-generation medical system for drug discovery research and personalized medicine by combining and analyzing genome, health, and medical information. Meanwhile, in January 2019, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) formulated the "PMAJ Policy Proposal 2019" and announced that it will work on cutting-edge research and development incorporating innovative technologies such as health and medical big data, AI, and genomic medicine, regarding the ecosystem established by a wide range of stakeholders in industry, academia and government The meeting was attended by over 100 participants from the industry, academia, and government. The goal is to create a favorable environment in which innovation in the life science field can extend people's healthy life expectancy and economic growth, which in turn will create the next round of innovation and further development of science.
In this context, ToMMo and the Pharmaceutical Cooperative Association signed a collaboration agreement on January 31, 2020, to promote next-generation medicine, and are now working on industry-academia collaboration projects promoted by ToMMo and the Pharmaceutical Cooperative Association regarding next-generation medicine (personalized prevention and personalized medicine). In March 2020, the two parties launched a joint research project to analyze the relationship between sleep and activity habits, which are among the various lifestyle habits that affect individual health, and the basic data of the TMM project, which focuses on brain MRI images, cognitive and psychological functions, and physiological tests. In this joint research, we plan to analyze sleep and activity habits based on information obtained from responses to questionnaires, but while lifestyle data from these questionnaires is extremely important as basic data for the TMM project, it is based on the subjective responses of individual participants, and there are limitations in conducting objective and quantitative research. Therefore, we have to take a look at the data of the daily lifestyle of the participants.
Therefore, we believe it is important to obtain such daily lifestyle data objectively and quantitatively, and have focused on wearable devices, which can be worn on the body to obtain information. The wearable device makes it possible to easily and objectively obtain quantitative data on the participants' sleep and daytime activity status.
MICIN, which has expertise in the construction of data linkage systems with wearable devices, data acquisition and management in a secure environment, and implementation operational know-how, has been invited as a partner for this research. ToMMo, the Pharmaceutical Cooperative Union of Japan, and MICIN have decided to launch a joint research project to verify the practical feasibility of wearable device implementation.
This joint research will be conducted on a small scale as a pilot study, and based on the results, the possibility of using wearable devices in cohort surveys as a whole will be examined. The implementation of wearable devices will accelerate the research to enable objective and temporal digital biomarker data acquisition related to lifestyle habits. This will further advance research on the relationship between lifestyle habits and MRI imaging data, etc., and promote the further creation of innovative pharmaceuticals and medical technologies.

Reference

About the Tohoku Medical Megabank (TMM) Project

The TMM project aims at reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake and realization of personalized prevention and medical care. Tohoku University Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization and Iwate Medical University Iwate Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization are the implementing institutions of the TMM project, which aims to contribute to the creative recovery of medical care in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and to improve the health of the victims. The TMM Project has been conducted by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), which has been serving as the organization in charge of research support for this project since fiscal year 2015.

About Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Inc.

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) is a voluntary association of 72 R&D-oriented pharmaceutical companies (as of December 1, 2020). established in 1968, PMAJ has contributed to global healthcare through research and development of innovative new drugs for ethical drugs under the motto "realization of patient-participatory medicine".
The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) is developing multifaceted measures to solve various problems common to the pharmaceutical industry, to deepen understanding of pharmaceuticals, and to promote international collaboration. In particular, we are working for the sound development of the pharmaceutical industry by strengthening our advocacy activities for the realization of innovation promotion policies, addressing internationalization, and strengthening our public relations system.

About MICIN Corporation

MICIN, Inc. was founded in 2015 by Seigo Hara, a physician and CEO. MICIN operates an application business that handles online medical treatment and drug administration guidance, a data solution business that analyzes and utilizes medical data with AI, etc., and a digital solution business for clinical development of pharmaceutical products. We aim to realize our vision of "a world where all people can live and die with dignity. The company aims to realize its vision of "a world where all people can live with satisfaction and live their final days to the fullest.

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