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• Toyota Tsusho, DENSO and A&D Jointly Invest to Medical DeviceManufacturer UNEX

Toyota Tsusho, DENSO and A&D Jointly Invest to Medical Device
Manufacturer UNEX

2011-05-25

Toyota Tsusho Corporation,　DENSO Corporation and A&D Company, Limited have jointly invested to UNEX Corporation, a medical equipment manufacturer. The aim of this joint investment is to develop more competitive devices and increase marketing capability by using the proprietary technologies and sales networks of the three companies.

UNEX manufactures a detective device for arteriosclerosis; the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) test, a common approach to assess vascular endothelial function. Due to the accuracy of the measurements, the FMD testing devices are used in many university hospitals and other medical institutions.

DENSO, Toyota Tsusho, and A&D respectively own 25.7 percent, 25.0 percent, and 7.2 percent of UNEX, with 21.4 percent retained by UNEX’s directors and officers and the remaining 20.7 percent held by others. Current management continues to lead company operations.

Profile of UNEX Corporation

Name:	UNEX Corporation
Location:	Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
President:	Akikazu Kida
Establishment:	November 2003
Capital:	569.76 million yen (approximately US$6.9 million*)
Sales:	Approximately 250 million yen (approximately US$4.0 million*)
Employees:	15
Business Description:	Development, manufacture and sale of medical equipments

Ownership

	Before the investment	After the investment (as of March 30, 2011)
DENSO	-	25.7%
Toyota Tsusho	-	25.0%
A&D	-	7.2%
Directors and officers of UNEX	33.3%	21.4%
Others	66.7%	20.7%

About the detection of arteriosclerosis and UNEX’s FMD testing device
Arteriosclerosis, which can be caused by risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal lipid metabolism and obesity, may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases which account for 30 percent of the total deaths in Japan. In the country, the number of patients with arteriosclerosis has reached 12.8 million, about 10 times higher than that of cancer patients. In fiscal year ending March 2008, approximately 26 trillion yen (approximately US$316.8 billion*) were spent on general healthcare costs, and the largest portion of the expense, approximately 5.3 (approximately US$64.6 billion*) trillion yen was used for circulatory disease including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, detecting and preventing arteriosclerosis is a key to reduce medical expenditures and contribute to better health and longer lives.

However, conventional arteriosclerosis screening could not diagnose arteriosclerosis until a relatively late stage. Along with the increase of arteriosclerosis, an early detection device, the FMD test using an ultrasonic device was introduced for assessing vascular endothelial function about 20 years ago. Significant academic achievements were made in the research of the device, however, the test was not widely accepted since it required highly sophisticated diagnostic techniques.

In 2005, UNEX developed the world’s first device designed for the FMD test, called UNEXEF. Since the development of its concept, the product was approved as a medical device within two years and now holds outstanding reputation for early detection of arteriosclerosis.
Recently, UNEXEF has been used in the early arteriosclerosis detection program, a part of the diabetes screening package featured in medical tourism promoted by Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. UNEXEF is expected to be more widely used to monitor not only therapeutic effects on high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal lipid metabolism and other clinical conditions, but also the degree of recovery of vascular endothelial function following regular exercise and dietary modification to encourage patients to maintain healthy lifestyles.

* Exchange rate used is 82.08 yen to the US one dollar, at the end of April 2011 for convenience only.

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