SBI Holdings, Inc.
SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Yoshitaka Kitao; “SBI Pharmaceuticals”) is a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Yoshitaka Kitao; “SBIH”) engaging in research and development of pharmaceuticals, health foods and cosmetics using 5-aminolevulinic acid (“5-ALA”) (*1). SBI Pharmaceuticals’ proposed development scheme, “Development of Green Light Source Device for Use in ALA-PDT” has been selected to qualify for the “Innovation Commercialization Venture Support Project” (*2) sponsored by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Under the proposed scheme, SBI Pharmaceuticals will develop a green light source device for application in aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) based on joint research efforts with Professor Kunio Awazu (specializing in photomedicine) of Osaka University and other universities.

ALA-PDT is a form of therapy to kill cancer cells by irradiating them with excitation light and offers various benefits. For example, it may be applied as an alternative treatment to surgery for cancer patients or the light beam can be positioned at the tumor site to kill any cancer cells that could not be removed by surgery.

Conventionally, a red or blue light source has been applied in PDT. Meanwhile, during the course of joint research with universities, SBI Pharmaceuticals discovered potential features in green light. Hence, a plan to develop a device that uses a green light source for application in ALA-PDT was formulated and was submitted as a proposal to NEDO.

SBI Pharmaceuticals will remain committed to providing pharmaceuticals and medical equipment using 5-ALA to meet various medical needs, thereby contributing to improving the QOL (quality of life) of patients.

*1: 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA):
An amino acid created in mitochondria. It is an important substance that serves as protein material related to energy production in the form of heme and cytochromes, and its productivity is known to decrease with age. 5-ALA is contained in food such as shochu distillation remnants and red wine. It is also known as a material forming chloroplasts in plants.

*2: For an overview of NEDO’s Innovation Commercialization Venture Support Project, please refer to this website: http://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/CA3_100047.html

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For further information, please contact:
SBI Holdings, Inc.: Corporate Communications Dept., Tel: +81 3 6229 0126
SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.: Corporate Planning Dept., Tel: +81 3 6229 0095

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