NEWS RELEASE
November 30, 2015

JIMRO Announces Sales Alliance with Kaneka Medixfor Adacolumn®
On November 24th, JIMRO Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of medical devices and subsidiary of Otsuka
Holdings Co., Ltd., concluded a distributorship agreement to market the medical device Adacolumn®
with Kaneka Medix Corporation, a manufacturer of medical products wholly owned by Kaneka
Corporation. Kaneka Medix will begin the sale of Adacolumn® from January 2016.
Adacolumn® is a leukocyte apheresis column which is used for extracorporeal therapy. Whenblood is taken out of the patient’s body, it adsorbs granulocytes as well as monocytes selectively
from leukocytes before returning the peripheral blood into the body. The product is covered byhealth insurance for ulcerative colitis*1 and Crohn’s disease*2, as well as pustular psoriasis*3. In
addition, the product is in clinical use in Europe and China.
In general, treatment with Adacolumn® has been carried out by specialized departments for
extracorporeal therapy (such as blood purification departments), as required by attending physicians(for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease: departments of gastroenterology and gastroenterologicalsurgery; for pustular psoriasis: department of dermatology). Kaneka Medix has capabilities in theextracorporeal therapy field through its own manufacturing and sales activities of Liposorber®*4 andLixelle®*5, and this alliance aims to realize a smooth connection between diagnosis and treatment
departments, leveraging JIMRO’s strength of attending physicians, as well as growing the domestic
market for Adacolumn®.
JIMRO, as a core business company of Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd., overseeing medical
devices business under the umbrella of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., will continue the research,development, and marketing of unique products under the corporate philosophy of “people creating
innovative products and delivering professional services for better health worldwide”, making
continuous efforts to contribute to refractory disease treatment in the future.

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Product Information in Japan
Brand name

Adacolumn®

Indications-Manufactured anddistributed by

Leukocyte apheresis column for granulocyte adsorption to induce remission ofactive ulcerative colitis (only for patients classified as severe by severity criteria)
This product is used to induce remission in patients with moderate to severe active
Crohn’s disease who have obvious remaining clinical symptoms resulting fromlarge bowel lesions, and that fail to respond to, or are ineligible for, nutrition
therapies or conventional pharmacotherapies.
This product is used to improve clinical symptoms in patients with moderate tosevere pustular psoriasis that fail to respond to, or are ineligible for, conventional
oral systemic therapies.

JIMRO Co., Ltd.

Product illustration

*1

*2

*3

*4

*5

*6

Ulcerative colitis is a bowel disease with unknown causes, in which chronic inflammation occurs and ulcers develop. Symptoms
include bloody stool, stool with mucus, diarrhea, abdominal pain and others; it is designated as an intractable disease by theMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare. At the end of 2014, the number of patients (number of persons with specific (intractable)disease healthcare certificate) was about 171,000*6.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease with unknown causes, longitudinal and irregular shaped ulcers in the gastrointestinal
tract, swelling mucous membranes, or narrowing of the lumen. Main symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and anallesions; it is designated as an intractable disease by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. At the end of 2014, the number ofpatients (number of persons with specific (intractable) disease healthcare certificate) was about 41,000*6.
Pustular psoriasis is one disease type of ‘psoriasis’ of the dermatosis, in which multiple pustules (raised on the skin containing pus)
appear as well as fever and redness of the skin. Generalized pustular psoriasis, that is, where pustules appear on the entire body, isdesignated as an intractable disease by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. At the end of 2014, the number of patients(number of persons with specific (intractable) disease healthcare certificate) was about 2,000*6.
Liposorber® is a blood purifying column used for extracorporeal therapy to adsorb and remove LDL cholesterol from bloodplasma selectively. It is available in Japan, the United States, and Europe.
Lixelle® is a blood purifying column, which is incorporated in hemodialysis systems to improve symptoms of dialysis-related
amyloidosis (one of the complications accompanying long-term dialysis). It is available in Japan, the United States, and Europe.
"Report on Public Health Administration and Services FY 2013", List of Statistical Surveys conducted by the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare, from the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Available at:www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hh/xls/2-22.xls-2-Corporate Profile
Kaneka Medix Corporation
Established:
Capital:Representative:
Head Office :Employees:
Business Description:
Shareholder:
Website (URL)

September 17, 1993
450 million yen
Akihiko Iguchi, President
2-3-18, Nakanoshima, Kita-Ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-8288
268 (as of March 31, 2015)
Research and development, manufacturing, sales, import andexport of medical devices
Kaneka Corporation
http://www.kaneka-med.jp

JIMRO Co., Ltd.
Established:
Capital:Representative:
Head Office :Employees:
Business Description:
Shareholder:
Website (URL)

November 8, 1977
100 million yen
Shiro Chino, President and Representative Director
351-1 Nishiyokote-machi, Takasaki-shi, Gunma 370-0021
166 (as of July 1, 2015)
Manufacturing, sales, rental, export and import as well as
research and development of medical devices
Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd.
http://www.jimro.co.jp-3-