A research group led by Assistant Professor HIRANO Ken-ichi at the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School, Osaka University, developed a treatment method for triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy (TGCV), the refractory disease that the group discovered in 2008. This group published the diagnostic criteria for the disease and developed its treatment drugs, finishing two investigator-initiated clinical trials. This group has started global clinical research on TGCV, contributing their energy to building a global network for overcoming this refractory disease.

TGCV was discovered at Osaka University Hospital. The following process, from the call to have TGCV officially certified as a refractory disease, to the elucidation of the disease conditions, the development of treatment methods, and the implementation of global clinical trial research, is unprecedented. This will become a model case of new medical care development starting from the university. The whole process, from the development of new treatment methods to the production of investigational new drugs and investigator-initiated clinical trials, was implemented at and by the university. Treatment of refractory diseases by medium chain fatty acid is safe and low-cost. Since the impact on the government-managed health insurance system, which is greatly affected by the escalation of medical costs, is not large, it is expected that this treatment can be used for other refractory diseases, heart diseases, and endocrine disorders.

This study is published in the academic journals noted below.