#Japan #Tokyo #Cosmedi #Dissolvable Microneedle

Cosmedi Pharmaceutical's Dissolvable Microneedle Awarded for Intellectual Property Excellence

On April 8, 2026, during the 6th Intellectual Property Ranking awards ceremony held at the Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Koto, Tokyo, Cosmedi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., led by President Hyosuk Kwon, was honored in the specialty category for its groundbreaking "Dissolvable Microneedle" technology.

The specialty category of this award recognizes intellectual properties with effective solutions to specific industrial challenges. Cosmedi's Dissolvable Microneedle was celebrated for its remarkable potential to address issues within the medical and healthcare sectors. The award was presented to Masakazu Sawada, the company's intellectual property officer, who expressed gratitude for the recognition among numerous intellectual properties reflecting the ability to evolve global practices.

About the Intellectual Property Ranking

Launched in 2020, the Intellectual Property Ranking awards recognize innovative works selected from entries published in the "Intellectual Property Encyclopedia." The initiative places emphasis on ideas deemed capable of significantly progressing society. Each year, more than a hundred intellectual properties are evaluated by judges, with the top entries celebrated across four categories: applicability, specialty, creativity, and future potential.

This year's award ceremony highlighted 40 recognized works and introduced a new category to celebrate individuals who contribute to embedding technology and design into society as part of its cultural evolution. This effort reflects a growing trend to elevate technology from mere tools to cultural practices.

Specialty Award Winner: The Dissolvable Microneedle

The Dissolvable Microneedle is a pioneering concept developed from the idea of using elements found in human skin to create needles that dissolve within the skin's moisture. This innovative technology, part of a startup company from Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, represents a significant leap in drug delivery systems. It comprises microscale needles that are only a few hundred microns in length, enabling efficient absorption of pharmaceutical compounds directly through the skin.

Compared to traditional topical applications, this approach is expected to deliver compounds with fewer side effects and offers a painless alternative for medication delivery, such as for vaccines. Cosmedi has also taken a step further by commercializing microneedles in the cosmetic industry, allowing for self-care delivery of high-molecular ingredients that previously required cosmetic injections, marking the world’s first introduction of microneedle cosmetics.

Explore the Dissolvable Microneedle

Award Commentary

Masakazu Sawada elaborated on the significance of this award for Cosmedi, emphasizing the importance of transforming market challenges into profit-generating intellectual property. He reflected on the potential of this technology to improve the lives of consumers and noted that the award symbolizes a brighter future for Japan.

Cosmedi has strategically focused on rapidly marketing the Dissolvable Microneedle within the beauty sector—a field that adapts quicker than pharmaceuticals or medical devices, which typically undergo extended approval processes. This award acknowledges not only technical superiority but also the dynamism of Cosmedi as it seeks to disrupt traditional markets and optimize intellectual property monetization.

In the years to come, Cosmedi aims to harness the capabilities of microneedle technology to innovate more products and work towards the practical implementation of "transdermal vaccines," believing wholly that the Dissolvable Microneedle can contribute substantially over the next five years to restore Japan's economy, which has seen decline over the past three decades.

About Cosmedi Pharmaceutical

Founded in 2001, Cosmedi Pharmaceutical is a venture company emerging from Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, specializing in transdermal drug delivery systems. With a focus on established core technologies such as microneedles and transdermal patches, the organization is diversifying its operations in the healthcare, medical, aesthetic, and wellness sectors while combining tradition with innovation from the unique cultural backdrop of Kyoto.

Company Overview

• - Name: Cosmedi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
• - Headquarters: 75 GRAND KYOTO 3F, Nishikujo Higashihijiyou-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto, 601-8438, Japan
• - President: Hyosuk Kwon
• - Established: May 30, 2001
• - Website: Cosmedi Pharmaceutical