JAPANESE BIOTECH TO OPEN BASE IN U.S.

The Science Center, an organization headquartered in Philadelphia that funds early-stage life science and technology companies, has partnered with Japan-based Aqumen Biopharmaceuticals to open a base for the latter company's U.S. operations. The collaboration, commented the Science Center, is part of a larger endeavor to offer international companies a "soft landing" in the U.S. by creating local business hubs.

"We decided to locate Aqumen's U.S. operations at the Science Center because of its unique strategy and strong management team," said Hardy Kagimoto, CEO of Aqumen. "Our strong research base in Japan together with the Science Center's strategy opens a broader market for Aqumen's innovations."

Aqumen, launched in 2005 by Kyushu University in Kyushu, Japan, develops medicines, surgical tools and other medical products, specifically targeted at combating macular degeneration and other ophthalmic diseases.