Integrated Report 2023

PHC Group Business StrategyDiagnostics & Life Sciences

Contributing to improved medical outcomes
for patients through groundbreaking technology

Steven Lynum

Steven Lynum

Corporate Officer, PHC Holdings Corporation
President, Epredia Holdings Ltd.

Message

Epredia's name comes from our mission: to improve lives by “enhancing precision cancer diagnostics.” We provide solutions for anatomical pathology testing related to cancer diagnostics. We have a strategic vision to be the best provider of end-to-end precision diagnostics solutions, and our work will seek to reduce the burden of disease and the environmental impact of medical care. We are committed to serving our customers, and ultimately the patients they serve, with the highest quality products and services in laboratories around the world.

Overview

Epredia is a global leader in the field of anatomical pathology, providing comprehensive solutions for precision cancer diagnostics with the goal of ultimately contributing to better outcomes for patients.
Anatomical pathology involves observing organs and tissues and diagnosing whether they are benign or malignant, and is essential for cancer diagnostics and treatment. A collected tissue specimen goes through many processing steps in a pathology lab before being placed on a glass slide for observation and diagnosis, and Epredia offers a wide range of products to make the laboratory workflow more efficient and effective. Known for product brands such as Shandon, Richard-Allan Scientific, Microm, and Menzel Glaser, the company has been providing solutions for precision cancer diagnostics since its founding in 1937.
Currently, 44 Epredia products are used every second in medical institutions and research facilities around the world. We will continue to drive innovation to help improve the lives of cancer patients worldwide.

Strengths

  • Comprehensive, state-of-the-art technology for laboratories
    Epredia provides high-quality instrumentation and consumables necessary for pathology laboratories working with tissue samples. Key products include glass microscope slides that are recognized for their excellent adhesion quality and exceptional clarity. Each piece of equipment is designed with pathologists’ needs in mind such as ergonomics and ease of use, with the goal of contributing to efficient and accurate cancer diagnosis for the patient.
  • Innovative products powered by digital technology
    Typically, specimens prepared on glass slides are observed by pathologists using a microscope, but in recent years digital pathology technology has emerged in which tissue specimens can be scanned as digital images and viewed on a computer screen. Technology may soon be developed to use AI image recognition to analyze these digital images to support cancer diagnostics. Epredia is offering AI solutions to our customers through our partnership with page and aiforia.
  • Strong customer base and high market share
    Epredia has trusted relationships with customers and a high market share that has been cultivated over the last 85 years. In particular, we are often viewed as the worldwide leader for slide glasses and tissue processors.

FY2022 Snapshot

Revenue: JPY49.5billion

Main Customers

  • Hospitals/clinics
  • Research institutions/universities
  • Pharmaceutical companies

Main Products/Services

  • Slide glass
    High-quality pathological diagnosis requires high-quality microscope slides. Our unique glass manufacturing technology enables smooth surfaces and uniform thickness, supporting high-quality specimen analysis and highly accurate diagnosis.
  • Pathology reagents
    Cytology staining, which provides clear contrast between cytoplasm and nuclear chromatin, is an important component in cancer diagnostics. Epredia's staining equipment is designed to stain tissue samples with high transparency and sharpness, and can be used in combination with a variety of staining solutions.
  • Pathology equipment
    Tissue processing is critical to obtaining reliable results in the histology laboratory. Laboratories are under pressure to speed up processes, reduce costs, and prevent operational errors. Epredia's tissue processing solutions are designed to efficiently produce high-quality paraffin blocks to enable pathologists to make an accurate diagnosis.
  • Labeling and management solutions
    To prevent operational errors in the histology laboratory, cassettes and slide glasses must be labeled, properly recorded, and tracked. Epredia's cassette printers and slide printers with laser technology and on-demand printing capabilities provide an automated way of labeling and tracking laboratory samples and slides, to increase accuracy while streamlining workflow.
  • Slide Glass

    Achieve more accurate diagnosis with the highest level of optical clarity

    Slide Glass
  • Pathology Reagent

    Streamline microscopic observation of cytoplasm and chromatin with a highly transparent and cost-effective staining solution

    Pathology Reagent
  • Pathology Instruments

    Streamline the work of applying reagents to samples and reduce reagent costs

    Pathology equipment
  • Labeling solutions

    Automate printing of samples and slides to streamline workflow

    Labeling solutions
  • Digital Pathology

    Contributing to the future of digital pathology solutions through partnership with 3DHISTECH.

    Digital Pathology

* In-house research

Pathology Division

Pathology Division

The number of cancer diagnoses is increasing worldwide, and as a result, cancer-related drug development activities are expanding, especially among pharmaceutical companies. In this environment, the market for pathology testing equipment and consumables is expected to grow at a mid-single-digit rate.
We are also focusing on the areas of digital pathology and immunohistochemical staining. Digital pathology supports cancer diagnostics using digital images rather than a microscope. Additionally, when it is necessary to confirm what kind of proteins are distributed in cells and tissues, a technique called immunohistochemical staining is used. These technologies are attracting attention for their potential to greatly improve the efficiency of cancer diagnostics and pharmaceutical research and development, and are expected to grow by double digits annually.
Pathology is an area where high quality and stability are especially critical, and we will continue to develop new high-quality products and increase our market share.
Additionally, in the growing field of digital pathology, we offer digital pathology products made by our partner 3DHISTECH. As a partner in immunohistochemical staining with 3DHISTECH, we jointly operate a research and development laboratory, the Pathology Innovation Incubator, and we will also invest heavily in the growth of digital pathology and immunohistochemical staining.

The flagship PANNORAMIC 1000, developed through the experience and knowledge of doctors, can load up to 1,000 slides at once and automatically scan them in about half a day.
This enables, for example, slides to be scanned overnight and shared with multiple pathologists, allowing large amounts of data to be viewed quickly regardless of the location of the pathologists. This contributes to making the diagnostics process more efficient.

PANNORAMIC 1000