SCREEN Acquires Majority Stake in Next-Generation Cancer Diagnostics Company Kyo Diagnostics
Kyoto, Japan – April 2, 2025 – SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. has, as of March 31, 2025, acquired a majority of the shares issued by Kyo Diagnostics K.K. (headquarters: Kyoto, Japan; president: Kazuhide Konishi), making said company a SCREEN Group subsidiary. Kyo Diagnostics develops cancer cell culture technologies and other next-generation cancer diagnostic support systems and services. The name of Kyo Diagnostics will not be changed upon this acquisition.
Kyo Diagnostics is a start-up company that leverages Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine research to enhance the treatment of colorectal and other cancers by providing cancer diagnostic support and services. Colorectal cancer is treated with a variety of therapies, including surgery, radiation, and drugs. The efficacy of specific drug therapies, in particular, varies from patient to patient, resulting in a trial-and-error process of repeatedly trying new drugs, monitoring their effects, and then switching to different drugs as needed, placing significant physical and financial burden on patients.
To address these issues, Kyo Diagnostics is working toward the real-world implementation of personalized cancer therapies. This involves taking cancer cells from patients, culturing them to mimic conditions in the body, and using them to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs in vitro, before administrating them to the patient, thus enabling personalized drug therapy.
SCREEN began joint research into personalized cancer therapies with Kyoto University, group subsidiary AFI Corporation, and Kyo Diagnostics in 2021. Through this investment, SCREEN aims to support the development of Kyo Diagnostics’ cell culture technologies and combine them with the group’s technologies and expertise to accelerate the commercialization of innovative personalized cancer treatment.
Details of investment partner
| 1. Company name: | Kyo Diagnostics K.K. |
| 2. Headquarters: | Medical Innovation Center 2F, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine 53 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan |
| 3. Representative: | Kazuhide Konishi, President |
Further information:
December 6, 2021 news release “Partnership Launches Research Project to Deliver Innovative Personalized Cancer Therapies”
https://www.screen.co.jp/en/news/NR211206E
Contact about this News
SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-75-414-7131 URL: www.screen.co.jp/en/contact/info
Information contained in the news release are current on the date of publication, but may be subject to change without notice.