Kyoto, Japan – June 14, 2023 – SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. has acquired shares in Adriakaim Inc. (headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; representative director: Masatoshi Kobayashi) mainly through the underwriting of a new third-party allotment. The company is the pioneering developer of a vagus nerve stimulation device for suppressing the onset of chronic heart failure. This investment takes SCREEN’s equity ratio in Adriakaim beyond 20%, making the company an equity method affiliate.

Adriakaim is a startup company engaged in the development of the world’s first vagus nerve stimulation device for reducing the onset of chronic heart failure resulting from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Around 100,000 people in Japan suffer AMI every year, with the majority transported to hospital by ambulance to undergo treatment.

The number of patients dying from AMI has been decreasing in recent years thanks to advances in reperfusion treatments such as catheter-based therapy. However, many still suffer from heart failure developed after AMI. This remains a major issue and the total number of heart failure patients in Japan is projected to exceed one million by 2030. Around half of these cases are likely to be the result of AMI.

The device being developed by Adriakaim is a minimally invasive medical device that suppresses expansion of the area of myocardial infarction by applying a very weak electrical stimulus to the vagus nerve near the patient’s heart. While chronic heart failure has been a significant problem worldwide, it is not possible to prevent its onset with currently available medication. Adriakaim aims to achieve a higher therapeutic effect by using the electrical stimulation to activate the vagus nerve. It has already completed non-clinical studies and will soon begin a clinical trial.

SCREEN has been focusing on the medical field as a new business area and is currently engaged in the production and sale of OrganPocket, a medical device for organ transplantation, and the advancement of personalized cancer therapies. With its latest investment, the company expects to create extensive synergy through a deeper integration of the technologies and knowledge possessed by both companies.

Going forward, SCREEN intends to cooperate with Adriakaim to accelerate the commercialization of the company’s vagus nerve stimulation device. At the same time, it will also continue its work to meet various other needs in the medical field, enabling it to contribute to the resolution of a range of issues currently affecting society.

Details of investment partner

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