Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
April 30, 2013
Strategic Partnership with European Medical Center and Budker Institute
Tokyo, April 30, 2013 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) today announced that it has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Group of Companies European Medical Center (GEMC) and the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP), of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to form a strategic partnership in the field of particle beam therapy system business in the Russian Federation. Through this partnership with GEMC and BINP, Hitachi intends to enter into the particle beam therapy system market in Russia, starting with the collaboration on two prospective projects.
For more than a decade, there has been a growing interest and demand for new treatment modalities of cancers by irradiating accelerated particles (protons or carbon ions) from tumors. In recent years, in Russia, where the percentage of cancer patients in the total population is comparatively higher than that of U.SA., Japan and some of the European countries, a number of medical institutions have been considering plans to newly construct a treatment facility equipped with the particle beam therapy systems, as part of their measures to strengthen cancer treatment capacities.
Backed by more than 20 years of history and tradition in Moscow, GEMC is one of the largest private medical institutions in Russia, operating 24-hour emergency clinics, pediatric hospitals, and women's hospitals at 5 locations in Moscow. The company is growing by investing into private medical facilities in Russia, as well as participating in their operation and dispatching doctors and medical staff. BINP, meanwhile, is a national research institution based in Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia. It is a leading research institute in Russia with significant technological excellence in accelerators, and its remarkable achievement includes building the world's first electron-positron collider.
Under the MOU, Hitachi aims to improve the performance, reliability, and safety of particle beam therapy systems through collaboration with GEMC and BINP, which may include the development and use of their key equipment. Hitachi also intends to collaborate with them on pilot projects which will help obtain necessary licenses required to supply Hitachi's particle beam therapy systems to the Russian market. Furthermore, considerations will be made on project financing and the development or use of key equipment for a proton beam therapy system for the planned construction of Hadron therapy facility at hospital No. 63 in Moscow, as well as the envisaged construction of proton beam therapy system and carbon ion beam therapy system for Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. Hitachi also aims to expand market opportunities for its particle beam therapy systems throughout Russia in the future.
Hitachi started developing proton beam therapy systems approximately 20 years ago. The technology has earned widespread recognition as an effective cancer treatment, with systems having been supplied to the University of Tsukuba and Nagoya Proton Therapy Center in Japan. Outside Japan, Hitachi has supplied a system to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the USA, one of the world's largest specialist cancer hospitals. Particle beam therapy systems for Hokkaido University and three well-known clinics in the USA are currently under construction.
Through the delivery particle beam therapy system which incorporates Hitachi's state-of-the-art technologies, Hitachi aims to contribute to the innovation of cancer treatment and advanced radiation therapy. Furthermore, Hitachi will continue to promote its healthcare business globally, which is one of a key area in its social innovation business.
Hitachi, Ltd., (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totalled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.
