Research from Justin Ichida’s lab advances toward clinical development for ALS, following a license agreement between companies Takeda and AcuraStem

USC Stem Cell scientist Justin Ichida has learned to inhabit two worlds: the university where his lab makes discoveries, and the companies that can help commercialize these discoveries into new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The first of these potential treatments now has the potential to enter clinical development for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), following a recent license agreement between the pharmaceutical giant Takeda and AcuraStem, a startup co-founded by Ichida in 2016.

“The research that originated in my USC lab is approaching clinical development with a reputable biopharmaceutical company,” said Ichida, who is the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation Associate Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at USC. “I could not have asked for a better, more supportive environment than USC for making this a reality.”