Ken-ichiro “Nobu” Kuninobu

Co-founder & CEO at FELIQS

Speaker

Dr. Kuninobu is the Co-founder and CEO of FELIQS, a cross-border, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on neonatal drug development, with headquarters in Fukuoka, Japan and New York. The company has secured $12M in funding and is currently conducting the Phase 1b tROPhy-1 study in the United States for the prevention of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of pediatric blindness.

Dr. Kuninobu began his career at Nipro Corporation as a CMC scientist, building a strong foundation in pharmaceutical development. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated diverse leadership experience: co-development with Sandoz, the establishment of Nipro’s first international manufacturing facility in Vietnam, successful out-license deal with Daiichi-Sankyo, and clinical programs of a regenerative advanced therapy program with Yale University.

He holds a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Kyushu University and a Ph.D. in Medical Science (Infection Research) from Nagasaki University. Since 2024, he has also served as a committee member of the Fukuoka Bio-community, one of Japan’s largest regional biotech clusters.