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

We are pleased to inform you that SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Yoshitaka Kitao; “SBI Pharmaceuticals”), a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc., engaged in research and development of pharmaceuticals, health foods and cosmetics using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) (*), has entered into a basic agreement with King Hamad University Hospital (Location: Muharraq, Bahrain; “King Hamad University Hospital”) to mutually cooperate in conducting a clinical study on 5-ALA, and the two parties’ common purpose is to improve Bahrain’s medical treatment.

SBI Pharmaceuticals announced in April 2012 that it would promote the 5-ALA business in Bahrain by collaborating with the government of Bahrain. And it is already making preparations jointly with King Hamad University Hospital for a clinical study on photodynamic diagnosis of colorectal cancer that uses 5-ALA. Based on this basic agreement, SBI Pharmaceuticals will also work on clinical studies regarding the diagnosis and treatment of other cancers.

Currently, SBI Pharmaceuticals is also preparing to start a clinical study on diabetes by using 5-ALA at the Diabetes Department of the Bahrain Defense Force Royal Medical Service Hospital, hospitals attached to the Arabian Gulf University, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain.

SBI Pharmaceuticals will continue to work closely with the government of Bahrain in accommodating the needs of the country and advancing the business. Simultaneously, we will endeavor to help people around the world stay healthy by further identifying the various possibilities of 5-ALA through pursuing R&D jointly with our partners inside and outside Japan.

King Hamad University Hospital
King Hamad University Hospital, established by King Hamad in 2010, is the second national general hospital in Bahrain and operated by the Bahrain Defense Force. The hospital cooperates with the Ministry of Health of Bahrain in matters regarding related medical centers and first aid and emergency services.

*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 hemes and cytochromes, and its productivity is known to decrease with age. 5-ALA is contained in shochu distillation remnants, red wine and food such as radish sprouts. It is also known as a material forming chloroplasts in plants

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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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