SYSMEX CORPORATION

  Sysmex Corporation (HQ: Kobe, Japan; President: Hisashi Ietsugu) announced today its decision to make the HITADO Group, which is a German company specialized in sales and support of POCT* products in Germany, a wholly-owned subsidiary aiming for a full-scale entry into the POCT market in January 2010.

  Since Sysmex established its second overseas subsidiary in Germany in 1980, it has expanded business Europe-wide by promoting sales and support of IVD products, mainly in large hospitals and laboratories for centralized testing. To initially expand its presence in the POCT market in Germany - the single largest POCT market in Europe - Sysmex has decided to make the HITADO group a wholly-owned subsidiary. Having built a broad customer base covering specialized clinics and physicians, HITADO focuses on products for rapid tests as well as, glucose monitoring, all conducted "near patient".

  Sysmex's strength and experience in the IVD field combined with HITADO's extensive sales network and unique selling approach in the German POCT market will also address the German self-paid IVD market. For this rapidly growing IGEL(Individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen) segment ("individual health contributions") patients are paying out-of-pocket fees for screening tests, mainly targeted at disease prevention or early detection.

  As a new subsidiary, HITADO's POCT market approach, together with Sysmex, will expand the overall POCT product offering, including IT-based after-sales support, to address this growing market need in Germany.
  Over time Sysmex will commence strategies for expanding this business approach into additional European countries.

*POCT: Point of care testing. Testing that may be performed rapidly, easily, and accurately anywhere, such as the patient's bedside or practitioners' offices, and in emergency situations.