[Press Release] Global Vascular Co., Ltd. Has Won the Startup Prize at the 8th Japan Medical Research and Development Awards
- Jan 20
- 3 min read
Global Vascular Co., Ltd. has been awarded the Startup Prize at the 8th Japan Medical Research and Development Awards for its achievement titled “World’s First Development and Clinical Trials of the BioStealth™ Stent for Below-the-Knee Arteries, Designed to Suppress Foreign Body Reactions, with a View to Regulatory Approval in Japan and the U.S.”
The award ceremony was held at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, January 16, 2026, where Minister of State for Health and Medical Strategy, Ms. Onoda, presented the award certificate.
The Japan Medical Research and Development Awards recognize initiatives that make significant contributions to the advancement of medical research and development, both in Japan and globally. Established in fiscal year 2017, the program aims to deepen public interest and understanding while enhancing incentives for researchers and related professionals.
Our company is advancing the development of the drug-eluting BioStealth™ Stent*1 with the mission of ensuring that people around the world can continue to enjoy the everyday act of walking for generations to come.
This award recognizes the development of the BioStealth™ Stent*1, which incorporates three original foundational technologies developed by the Hasebe Research Group. The project was highly regarded as a contribution to the advancement of Japanese healthcare and related industries.
・ThinForce™: A self-expanding stent design technology that achieves ultra-thin struts with high radial expandability
・BioDiamond™: A biodegradable polymer coating designed to gradually disappear after controlled drug release
・BioGradia™: A polymer coating that naturally degrades after drug release
*1 BioStealth™ is a concept for a stent that we are currently developing.
The award also recognized the company's efforts to rapidly establish domestic manufacturing capabilities and successfully transition to clinical trials within a short period after its founding, as well as its progress in regulatory compliance in the United States. These achievements demonstrate our commitment to global expansion as a Japan-originated medical technology.
Award Summary (From Cabinet Office Publication)
Award Name | The Startup Prize at the 8th Japan Medical Research and Development Awards |
Title | World’s First Development and Clinical Trials of the BioStealth™ Stent for Below-Knee Arteries, Designed to Suppress Foreign Body Reactions and Approved in Japan and the U.S. |
Award Recipient Name | Global Vascular Co., Ltd. |
Summary of Achievements and Key Points for Award Selection | ・BioStealth™ is an innovative stent designed specifically for below-the-knee arteries (a metallic mesh-like intravascular device) that incorporates three core technologies—ThinForce™, BioDiamond™, and BioGradia™—developed by the Hasebe Research Group with support from AMED*2, and is being advanced toward commercialization by Global Vascular. It is designed to suppress foreign body reactions in the highly challenging below-knee arterial region, with the goal of preventing limb amputation and reducing mortality in patients with severe lower extremity artery disease (LEAD), a condition with a five-year survival rate lower than that of many cancers. This technology represents a novel product implementation of a foundational platform for suppressing foreign body reactions in implantable devices within the technically demanding below-the-knee arterial field, and is expected to be expanded to intravascular devices throughout the entire vascular system. ・Since its founding in December 2022, the company has rapidly established a domestic manufacturing framework and initiated clinical trials within fiscal year 2025. In addition, it has completed U.S. GLP*3 studies and an FDA*4 pre-submission, positioning this Japan-originated technology for global deployment. |
*2 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
*3 Good Laboratory Practice
*4 U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Global Vascular regards this award as a significant encouragement and will continue to steadily advance its research and development efforts, aiming to create new therapeutic options in areas where treatment remains difficult.
For details on the award recipients, please refer to the materials released by the Cabinet Office.
Additionally, footage of the award ceremony is available on the Prime Minister's Office website.