Hitachi High-Technologies Capital Partitipation in OmniSeq® Offering Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory Services

Tokyo, Japan, April 12, 2018 – Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (TSE:8036, Hitachi High-Tech) announced Hitachi High-Tech’ s capital participation in OmniSeq®,Inc. (OmniSeq), which is a molecular diagnostics subsidiary of the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, which was the first institution to focus exclusively on cancer research.

Hitachi High-Tech has made the field of biotechnology and healthcare its priority. Amid a recent increase in demand for personalized healthcare that provides optimal medical treatment for each individual patient in this field, there are strong expectations for developments in cancer therapy. Immunotherapy, including a class of drugs called checkpoint inhibitors*1, is expected to be the fastest growing class of cancer treatment over the next several years. OmniSeq offers not only cancer gene panel*2 for considering patients for molecular-targeted therapy*3, but also a first-in-kind comprehensive immune profile*4 for considering patients for immunotherapy.

With this capital participation in OmniSeq, Hitachi High-Tech is contributing to the realization of a healthy society through in vitro diagnostics (IVD) by developing products that realize state of the art cancer diagnostic to leverage its strength, development capability in analytical equipment based on optical technology with OmniSeq’ s expertise in cancer diagnostic panel development that are closely tied to clinical practice.

Hitachi High-Tech’ s corporate business vision in the Biotechnology and Medical Products area is to “aim to be a global player in all IVD Businesses.” To this end, the company is strengthening its existing businesses while aggressively engaging in strategic investments, such as promoting M&A and collaboration for creating new businesses in growth markets. Hitachi High-Tech will continue to aim to “become the Global Top in high-tech solutions,” and respond swiftly to the needs of customers and markets, working from the customer’ s perspective as a fast-moving creator of cutting-edge businesses.

*1
Checkpoint inhibitors: Monoclonal antibodies that target checkpoint proteins, boosting the immune response to cancer.
*2
Cancer gene panel: A method to simultaneously analyze multiple genes useful for cancer diagnosis.
*3
Molecular-targeted therapy: Therapy for using drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules (molecular targets) that are involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer.
*4
Immune profile: A multi-modality testing approach that interrogates the entire cancer immune cycle by combining results from next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing, microsatellite instability (MSI), as well as pathological diagnosis such as Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH).

About OmniSeq

Name OmniSeq®, Inc.
Location 700 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, New York 14203, USA
Representative Mark Gardner
Business OmniSeq, an innovation of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, is a molecular diagnostic laboratory.

OmniSeq endeavors to find the right drug or the right trial for every patient by improving access to better cancer treatment options through molecular profiling.

Establishment 2015
  • * “OmniSeq®” is a registered trademark in the United States.

Media Inquiries

Contact
Atsushi Sugimoto
Medical Systems Sales & Marketing Div.,
Science & Medical Systems Business Group
Email: atsushi.sugimoto.fd@hitachi-hightech.com
For Media Inquiries
Emi Sato, Shota Sano
CSR & Corporate Communications Dept.,
CSR Div.
TEL: +81-3-3504-5001
Email: emi.sato.sw@hitachi-hightech.com