Hitachi High-Tech and Invivoscribe Partner to Advance Molecular Diagnostics

May 10, 2022 15:18 JST

Source: Hitachi, Ltd.

TOKYO, May 10, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi High-Tech Corporation has entered into a strategic partnership (the Partnership) with Invivoscribe, Inc., a global provider of blood cancer testing kits and services, by undertaking a minority investment-based, third-party allotment of shares. The Partnership aims to accelerate the molecular diagnostics(1) and precision medicine businesses of both companies by combining Invivoscribe's technology, assay and bioinformatics development, global clinical testing, and international regulatory expertise with Hitachi High-Tech's core expertise in measurement and analysis systems technologies.

In recent years, cancer treatments have begun to offer personalized medicine, in which genes and proteins are examined in detail and the treatment is tailored to the individual patient. In the medical field, there are growing expectations and demands for molecular diagnostics, including high-precision measurement devices that measure genes and proteins, and testing services that deliver highly reliable results to doctors and patients. These molecular diagnostic tests are being further developed as highly precise, sensitive, and affordable methods with minimal burden on the body. The use of molecular diagnostics is expected to expand from diagnostic and therapeutic drug selection to early detection and prognosis monitoring.

Invivoscribe is a privately-held, California-based life science corporation with 7 wholly-owned subsidiaries in 5 countries, including clinical laboratories in 4 countries. Invivoscribe is engaged in three core business functions: 1) testing services for blood cancers, 2) global sales and distribution of test kits and licensing bioinformatics software, and 3) the development and commercialization of companion diagnostics(2) to support pharmaceutical approval of new oncology treatments.

Hitachi High-Tech's Analytical & Medical Solutions Business aims to support emerging businesses in the life science and healthcare industries while building out its own in vitro diagnostics (IVD) business. This Partnership is part of Hitachi High Tech's growth strategy of strengthening this molecular diagnostics business, whose mission is to contribute to the early detection and treatment of cancer, and discover new drugs, by providing molecular cancer diagnostics to all people, thereby realizing a healthy and secure society.
Through this strategic partnership, Hitachi High-Tech aims to cooperate across development, manufacturing, sales and testing services, while developing systems that provide solutions that better address the on-site needs of cancer diagnosis and monitoring throughout the course of treatment.

Hitachi High-Tech will continue to strengthen and expand the IVD business including the molecular diagnostic business by incorporating digital and information technologies and contribute to improving the quality of medical care by providing solutions for early diagnosis and optimal treatments of cancers to improve people's QoL

"Invivoscribe is excited at the synergistic opportunities, combining our core expertise in global standardization of tests and bioinformatics, our clinical lab services, and our processes for developing custom companion diagnostics from analytical/clinical validations through international regulatory approvals and commercialization, with Hitachi's expertise in instrumentation development and manufacturing," said Jeffrey Miller, CEO and founder of Invivoscribe. "Hitachi manufactures and distributes in vitro diagnostic instruments that we currently use to standardize testing for the international community; we are looking forward to further deepening our Partnership so we can advance precision medicine worldwide."

"Hitachi High-Tech has been strengthening its molecular diagnosis business centered on genetic testing. By combining Invivoscribe's testing service business with our experiences gained from the equipment business, we aim to build a unique business model and provide a wide range of services to medical professionals," said Yoshimitsu Takagi, Vice President and Executive Officer, and General Manager, Analytical & Medical Solution Business Group of Hitachi High-Tech.

(1) Molecular diagnostics business: A business that measures biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and protein contained in tissues and blood (body fluids) and provides information necessary for diagnosis and selection of therapeutic agents to healthcare professionals.
(2) Companion diagnostics: In-vitro diagnostics to test the indication of a specific drug to improve the efficacy or safety of the drug.

About Invivoscribe

Invivoscribe has been Improving Lives with Precision Diagnostics for more than twenty-five years, advancing the field of precision medicine by developing and selling standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to more than 700 customers in 160 countries. Invivoscribe also has a significant impact on global health working with pharmaceutical companies to accelerate approvals of new drugs and treatments by supporting international clinical trials, developing, commercializing companion diagnostics, and providing expertise in both regulatory and laboratory services. With its proven ability to provide global access to distributable reagents, kits, and controls, as well as clinical trial services through our international clinical lab subsidiaries (LabPMM), Invivoscribe has demonstrated it is an ideal partner. For additional information please visit: www.invivoscribe.com
or contact Invivoscribe at: customerservice@invivoscribe.com.

About Hitachi High-Tech

Hitachi High-Tech, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is engaged in activities in a broad range of fields, including manufacture and sales of clinical analyzers, biotechnology products, and analytical instruments, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and analysis equipment. and providing high value-added solutions in fields of social & industrial infrastructures and mobility, etc. The company's consolidated revenues for FY 2021 were approx. JPY 576.8 billion [USD 5.1 billion]. For further information, visit http://www.hitachi-hightech.com/global/

Contact:
Maya Okamura
Business Creation Dept., Business Strategy Planning Div.,
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
e-mail: maya.okamura.yr@hitachi-hightech.com

Source: Hitachi, Ltd.
Sectors: MedTech