ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Yoshihisa Suzuki, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that the subsidiary A2 Healthcare Corp. (headquartered in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Tadashi Katori, President & CEO; hereinafter “A2 Healthcare”) is entering a business partnership with iLAC Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Tsukuba, Ibaraki; Taka-Aki Sato, President & CEO; hereinafter “iLAC”) to launch Japan’s first pharmaceutical development service that includes whole genome analysis.

At present, whole genome analysis is becoming increasingly important from the perspective of “precision medicine”^*1 that analyzes and selects optimal treatment methods on the individual level. By analyzing genomic information, it is hoped that disease prediction and pre-onset diagnosis will contribute to optimal preventive healthcare. Moreover, treatment and medication optimal for the individual can be predicted post-onset, which should help realize efficient medical care.

In the pharmaceutical industry, attention is paid to the development of pharmaceuticals adapted to the genomic information of individual patients, with many examples of pharmaceutical development that includes whole genome analysis already running in Europe and North America.

ITOCHU Corporation formed a capital alliance with iLAC to launch a whole genome analysis business in January 2020 and we have considered expanding this in collaboration with them. A2 Healthcare, a subsidiary that engages in CRO business^*2, will start providing Japan’s first pharmaceutical development service that includes whole genome analysis in collaboration with iLAC.

Specifically, whole genome information of test subjects from clinical studies commissioned to A2 Healthcare by pharmaceutical companies will be analyzed together and offered to the pharmaceutical companies. In addition to regular clinical study information, the genome information will be integrated with the aim of increasing the efficiency of pharmaceutical development and enhancing the value of pharmaceutical information.

ITOCHU Corporation continues to view the healthcare field as a priority and will actively develop its businesses to contribute to building a society that can provide better healthcare.