September 17, 2019

Toyobo to market RNA Analysis Kit based on RIKEN technology
to help develop genomic medicine
Toyobo Co., Ltd. has productized a ribonucleic acid (RNA) analysis kit based on a novelsystem titled RamDA-seq TM*1, that allows full-length sequencing of the total RNA of a single
cell. The Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems
Dynamics Research developed this method last year.

RNA Analysis Kit

As national health insurance programs in Japan have covered genomic medicine since June
2019, medical care is progressing to be tailored to individual patients by selecting suitable
treatment and drugs after analyzing a patient’s genes. In recent years, genetic information in asingle cell has proven to be effective in treating diseases such as cancer caused by genemutations, because each cell has different genetic properties. However, conventional methods
have been unable to reliably detect disease-causing mutations from an extremely small amountof RNA*2 derived from a single cell.
RIKEN, which is based in Wako City, Saitama Prefecture, is one of Japan's largest
scientific research institutes. RIKEN has developed a novel method, RamDA-seq TM, whichenables the amplification of RNA in low bias and the detection of an expression level of genes
in a single cell. This method allows the comprehensive identification of RNA varieties and theiramounts in a single cell. It drastically improved the analytical precision of a disease-causing
gene expression level and mutations in various RNAs, including non-polyadenylated RNAs
whose functions remain unclear due to the difficulty in their detection.

RNA Analysis Kit, which Toyobo productized under RIKEN’s technological guidance,
consists of reagents and a user manual necessary to conduct RamDA-seq TM. The kit makes it
possible to prepare samples more smoothly and stably, as described in articles published byRIKEN.
The kit is expected to expand the use of RamDA-seq TM, to accelerate the development ofvarious medical fields ranging from basic research to regenerative and genomic medicine.
Toyobo will launch the product for research institutes including pharmaceutical companies
developing drugs for cancer and other diseases on September 30, 2019. The company aims toachieve annual sales of ¥1 billion in fiscal 2022.
■ RNA Analysis Kit to be marketed- cDNA preparation kit for next-generation sequencer analysis “GenNext®RamDA-seq TMSingle Cell Kit”

¥118,000 (for 24 uses), ¥398,000 (for 96 uses)- cDNA preparation kit for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis“RT-RamDA TM cDNA Synthesis Kit”

¥59,000 (for 24 uses), ¥198,000 (for 96 uses)*1 RIKEN press release “Researchers successfully sequence total RNA of single cells”
http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2018/20180306_1/ (March 6, 2018)*2 RNA, genome and genesGenome includes a complete set of genetic information of the cell, which is recorded as
sequences of four types of nucleotide in a biological polymer called DNA. Genes are regionsthat record genetic information in genome. Genetic information is read out by synthesizing
RNA using DNA as a template.
The cells that constitute our bodies control its gene expression to perform various functions,while having almost the same genetic information. Since this gene expression is mediated bymolecules called RNA, a comprehensive analysis of RNA is effective in understanding theindividual characters of individual cells.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations Group, Corporate Communication Department, Toyobo Co., Ltd.
Email: pr_g@toyobo.jp