50 Best Companies to Watch 2022
The Silicon Review
“We help develop new advanced medical technology devices that benefit both physicians and patients.”
Continual development and innovation in medical devices are crucial to ensuring the quality of life. The term ‘medical devices’ is naturally an extremely broad one, encompassing endoscopic devices, pacemakers, X-ray machines, nerve signal monitoring devices, coronary artery stents, and many more. The medical device industry plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the well-being of our increasingly health-aware population. Thanks to medical devices, diseases can be detected earlier, and diagnoses, treatment, and patient monitoring relentlessly improved. Breakthroughs and refinements in medical device technology have also been crucial for reducing healthcare costs at a time when health services around the world seem to be under greater financial pressure than ever.
Neuroceuticals Inc is one such company that specializes in the development and sales of medical devices which is designed to control the nerve signals for treatment and reduce infarct size in the acute phase of the Myocardial infarction. The company has developed a vagal nerve stimulation catheter that provides electrical stimulation for nerve control and the prevention of heart failure, enabling the medical community to optimize associated treatments. Besides, Neuroceuticals supports overseas startup medical device companies with entry into the Japanese market by providing services for investment for commercialization, marketing strategy, market research, search for distributors, obtaining government approval, and more.
Neuroceuticals Inc was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo.
Shinya Miike, CEO of Neuroceuticals Inc, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review on how his company provides peace of mind to medical professionals and improves diagnostic and therapeutic effects.
Interview Highlights
Q. What was the motivation behind starting Neuroceuticals Inc?
When I met the researchers, Prof. Sunagawa and Dr. Saku, I learned that they were doing excellent work. I was the coordinator of a national project, Biodesign, at the time and recommended that they should commercialize it immediately. However, it is not easy for researchers to commercialize in Japan. So I suggested that I work with them to establish a venture company to commercialize this research. That is how Neuroceuticals was established.
Q. Can you explain your services in brief?
During my 25-year experience in the medical device business, especially medical endoscopes have engaged in the development and marketing of new endoscopes, devised strategies and tactics for penetrating them, and established new endoscopic surgical techniques. I’m a pioneer in the ultra-thin endoscopic field (under 1mm outer diameter) of ophthalmology, breast surgery, and Cardiology. My first company, FIBERTECH, was acquired by a big Japanese Cable company. And I invested Venture company called Silicon Valley Medical Instrument Inc. in San Francisco, which developed IVUS (Intra Vascular Ultra Sound endoscope) and was acquired by ACIST Medical Inc.
Specifically, we will offer the following services:
Q. What are the challenges you had to face while developing solutions for Neuroceuticals Inc? How did you overcome them?
The challenge was how we should get the consensus from the current medical society to use our product. My solution is to involve Government and get its budget from them. In this way, we were able to gain many collaborators.
Q. Specialized medical products often come with an expensive price tag. How do you maintain your affordability and profitability?
What is important is the added value the product has. We need to consider better treatment outcomes and the benefits the product provides to society. We help develop new advanced medical technology devices that benefit both physicians and patients.
Q. How do you market your services?
My strategy is simple. Develop what customers want. The single reason for a company’s existence in society is whether or not it can provide the products and services that customers want. I believe that the best marketing strategy is to develop such products and services.
Q. Do you have any new services ready to be launched?
The service itself is already offered. These include investment, consultation, and development assistance. The product will be launched in 2024.
Q. What does the future hold for your company and its customers? Are exciting things on the way?
Something very exciting will happen in the near future. Remarkably, it could curb the number of heart failure patients worldwide. The value of my company will be tremendous.
The Visionary Leader Upfront
Shinya Miike is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Neuroceuticals Inc. He has been involved in marketing, R & D, and corporate management in the medical field for over 25 years and has experience in several VB companies EXIT. With the experience and knowledge cultivated during this period, he built a new corporate stage in the medical field. He has been involved in management support, business startup support, etc., and has executed various projects. He specializes in surgery, ophthalmology, cardiology, urology, orthopedics, etc., but is also good at preventive medicine.