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Sysmex Acquires Additional Shares in RIKEN GENESIS and Converts Company to a Subsidiary

-Reinforcing Our Structure Toward the Practical Realization of Genomic Medicine-

  Sysmex Corporation (HQ: Kobe, Japan; Chairman and CEO: Hisashi Ietsugu) has acquired additional shares in an affiliated company, RIKEN GENESIS Co., Ltd. (HQ: Tokyo, Japan; President & CEO: Naoto Kondo), from a joint investor, Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (HQ: Tokyo, Japan; President & Representative Director: Shingo Kaneko), making RIKEN GENESIS a Sysmex subsidiary.
  Looking toward the practical realization of genomic medicine,1 Sysmex will reinforce its structure in this area, including the establishment of a new gene analysis center.2

  There is a growing need for personalized medicine, which involves the study of an individual patient’s genetic information to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.
  RIKEN GENESIS, provides lab-assay services as well as products for genetic testing based on cutting-edge gene analysis technologies and bioinformatics,3 and has experience in the field of personalized medicine. The company provides highly reliable tests based on international quality standards, as demonstrated by its CLIA4 certification, being the first organization in Japan to meet this U.S. quality control standard for clinical laboratories.
  Sysmex invested in RIKEN GENESIS in 2014, acquiring 36.5% of its shares, to advance the genetic testing business for personalized medicine. Since that time, the companies have collaborated in operating the Sysmex Cancer Innovation Laboratory within the National Cancer Center, and advanced the development of clinical PCR5 and other efforts to realize personalized medicine.

  To reinforce synergies with RIKEN GENESIS and accelerate initiatives toward the realization of personalized medicine, Sysmex has now acquired additional shares in RIKEN GENESIS from Toppan Printing. As a result of this acquisition, Sysmex holds majority ownership of RIKEN GENESIS and has converted the company to a subsidiary.
  RIKEN GENESIS was reorganized with the appointment of Naoto Kondo as the new President & CEO, who has extensive experience with next-generation sequencers.6
 With the aim of realizing genomic medicine, for which there is a growing need as a component of personalized medicine, Sysmex plans to establish a new cutting-edge gene analysis center in Japan, centering on next-generation sequencers. We also plan to create a system that will allow for lab-assay services under CLIA standards.

  Sysmex and RIKEN GENESIS will pursue R&D and business development initiatives to realize personalized medicine through genetic analysis. 
 

 

 

Share Ownership Following the Acquisition
 

・Sysmex Corporation:

64.7%

  ・Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.:

35.0%

  ・RIKEN Venture Capital Co., Ltd.: 0.3%

 
Career History of the President & CEO of RIKEN GENESIS Co., Ltd.
 

Name:

Naoto Kondo

  Place of birth:

Toki, Gifu Prefecture

  Date of birth: March 16, 1956
  Education: March  1983 Graduated from the Department of Agriculture, Nagoya
University
  Career History: April        1984 Entered Nippon Zoki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
    January   1989 Entered JASCO Corporation
    March      1994 Entered Yokogawa Analytical Systems Inc. (Presently Agilent Technologies)
    February 2006 Entered Illumina KK (Illumina Japan)
    January  2007 General Manager of Illumina KK (Illumina Japan)
    January  2012 Entered RIKEN
    June        2016 Entered Sysmex Corporation (Assigned to RIKEN GENESIS)
                         Appointed President and CEO of RIKEN GENESIS
     

Terminology
 

1 Genomic medicine:

Medicine which allows the prevention of disease, or the effective treatment of individual patients by analyzing their genetic information.

  2 Gene analysis center: A facility with next-generation sequencers and other instruments for the analysis of genetic information, capable of simultaneously reading the huge volumes of genetic information contained in DNA bases and sequences, and offering the analysis of genetic information as a lab-assay service.
  3 Bioinformatics: Information technology employing computers to analyze big data related to genetic information to explain vital phenomena; in particular, signifying the technology for analyzing relationships between genetic information and disease.
  4 U.S. Clinical Laboratory
   Improvement Amendment
   (CLIA):
A CLIA-certified laboratory is required to undergo periodic inspections to ensure quality maintenance, ensuring the lab’s quality control in testing.
  5 Clinical PCR (Polymerase
   Chain Reaction):
 A fully-automated instrument that perform everything from DNA extraction to the analysis of gene abnormalities by simply setting a pathology specimen in place, simplifying genetic testing in a clinical environment.
  6 Next-generation sequencer: An analyzer for reading the huge volumes of genetic information contained in DNA bases and sequences.
     
     
     
     
   
 
     
  • Information contained in the news release is current as of the date of the announcement,
    but may be subject to change without prior notice.

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