Japan Eyes Public Insurance for iPS Cell-Based Products

From Jiji

April 8 2026

TOKYO – Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council on Wednesday started to discuss extending the public health insurance coverage to two regenerative medicine products using induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells. 
   The council, which advises the health minister, is expected to decide the official prices for the products as early as summer. The products will come into use for medical treatment after that.
   The products are Riheart by Cuorips Inc., a startup linked to the University of Osaka, and Amchepry by Sumitomo Pharma Co.
   Riheart is an iPS cell-derived cardiomyocyte sheet to treat patients with heart disease. The sheet will be patched on patients’ hearts to help recover their functions.
   Amchepry, a dopaminergic neural progenitor cell product for Parkinson’s disease, will develop into nerve cells after being transplanted into patients’ brains and help improve their motor function.